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After a discussion about what a parachute is and how it works, learners create parachutes using different materials that they think will work best.

Learners construct and launch paper helicopters.

Through discussion and hands-on experimentation, learners examine the geological (ancient) carbon cycle.

Learners design their own experiment to explore the permeability of different materials such as soil, sand, gravel, and marbles.

Learners use a spring scale to drag an object such as a ceramic coffee cup along a table top or the floor.

In this engineering activity, learners design and build a mechanical arm to lift a small item.

Students design and build their own parachutes in this hands-on engineering project.

In this two part activity, learners work in pairs or individually to discover how vectoring the thrust from a jet engine affects movement of an airplane.

Using simple, inexpensive items, learners build and test submarine models.

In this ocean engineering activity, learners explore buoyancy and water displacement. Then, learners design models of deep sea divers that are neutrally buoyant.

In this design challenge activity, learners modify a cup so it can carry a marble down a zip line and also drop it onto a target.

In this engineering activity (page 5 of PDF), young learners investigate how materials and design contribute to the strength of a structure, particularly walls.

In this two-part activity, learners work in pairs to examine the four basic stages of a turbine engine.

In this engineering activity, learners build a device (an anemometer) to measure how fast the wind is blowing.

In this activity, learners extract DNA from wheat germ. Use this activity to introduce learners to DNA, biotechnology and genetic engineering.

In this activity, learners mix milk, vinegar, baking soda, and water to create sticky glue. Use this activity to explain how engineers develop and evaluate new materials and products.

Using paper, paper clips, an index card, and tape, teams of learners design flying devices to (1) stay in the air as long as possible and (2) land as close as possible to a given target.

Learners build a simple electromagnet, then use this electromagnet to transform a yogurt container into a working speaker. They can connect their speaker to a radio and listen as it transmits sound.

Learners use red cabbage juice and pH indicator paper to test the acidity and basicity of household materials. The activity links this concept of acids and bases to acid rain and other pollutants.

Learners build simple catapults and use them to launch cotton balls.