Search Results
Showing results 1 to 20 of 24

Balsa Towers
Source Institutions
Learners work in groups to design and build a tower out of balsa wood. As a motivator, they can compete to build a tower with the highest strength-to-weight ratio.

Gumdrop Dome
Source Institutions
In this activity (located on pages 23-24 of the PDF), learners are introduced to structural engineering and encouraged to practice goal-oriented building.

Vectoring: Steering a Plane
Source Institutions
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.
Simple Submarine
Source Institutions
Using simple, inexpensive items, learners build and test submarine models.

Four Corners
Source Institutions
In this design challenge activity, learners build a machine out of cardboard that runs smoothly and dependably. Learners must be precise to make sure their component works properly.

Geometry and Algebra: The Future Flight Equation
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners discover how NASA engineers develop experimental aircraft.

Rooftop Gardens
How does a green roof, or roof covered by plants, affect the temperature of the inside and outside of a building? Learners design and build houses to find out the answer.

Solar Water Heater
Learners work in teams to design and build solar water heating devices that mimic those used in residences to capture energy in the form of solar radiation and convert it to thermal energy.

Floodplain Modeling
In this design-based lesson, learners study flood dynamics as they modify a riverbed with blockages or levees to simulate real-world scenarios.

Zero-Energy Housing
In this activity, learners investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating.

Space Origami: Make Your Own Starshade
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners cut out and fold their own collapsible origami starshade, an invention that shields a telescope's camera lens from the light of a distant star so that NASA scientists can ex

Float My Boat
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners use tinfoil to build and test their own boats - which designs will float, and which will sink?

Skewers and Garden Poles
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners build scaled-down structures and cantilevers in a series of "building out" challenges with bamboo skewers and tape.

Construction Technologies: Construct the Strongest Bridge
Source Institutions
Learners work in pairs to create three simple types of bridges, a beam bridge, an arch bridge, and a suspension bridge.

Flower Engineers
Source Institutions
This activity (on pages 24-29) combines science and art to introduce learners to how different animal pollinators spread pollen from one plant to another, and how certain shapes, colors, and smells of

Landing the Rover
Source Institutions
In this team design challenge (page 19-24 of PDF), learners "land" a model Lunar Rover in a model Landing Pod (both previously built in activities #3 and #4 in PDF).

Living Bones, Strong Bones
Source Institutions
In this activity about engineering, nutrition, and physical activity, learners design and build a healthy bone model of a space explorer which is strong enough to withstand increasing amounts of weigh

Design a Lunar Rover!
Source Institutions
In this team design challenge (page 2-10 of PDF), learners design and build a model of a Lunar Transport Rover that will carry equipment and people on the surface of the Moon.

Design a Landing Pod!
Source Institutions
In this team design challenge (page 11-18 of PDF), learners design and build a Landing Pod for a model Lunar Rover (previously built in activity on page 1-10 of PDF).

Evolution in Plane Sight
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners model directed evolution by making paper fly. Learners construct and fly paper airplanes.