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Gravity in Action
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Explore the effects of gravity on a slowly falling object: a parachute you make out of plastic bags, string and stones.

Canine House of Cards
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This simple construction activity teaches the importance of architectural structure. Learners build and test designs for a paper "doghouse" strong enough to hold the weight of a jumbo dog biscuit.

Set It Straight
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In this activity, learners build a simple tabletop seesaw to test how different variables (the position of the fulcrum, distance, weight) affect its balance under increasing weight loads.

What Gives?
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In this activity, learners design, build and test a model suspension bridge for sturdiness and strength.

Build A Treetop Walkway
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Build and test a scale model of a rainforest canopy walkway.

Weighty Questions
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In this activity about humans and space travel (page 1 of PDF), learners compare and contrast the behavior of a water-filled plastic bag, both outside and inside of a container of water.

Egg Bungee Jump
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In this activity, learners design a bungee jump for an egg using nylon stockings.

Under Pressure
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In this simple activity, learners discover how a mere piece of paper can be used to hold up the weight of a heavy book.

A Pressing Engagement
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In this quick and easy activity and/or demonstration, learners illustrate the effect of the weight of air over our heads.

Clay Bridges
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In this activity, learners make bridges using an oil-based modeling clay (plasticene). The instructions include discussion questions for both before and after bridge building.

Clay Beams and Columns
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In this activity, learners make or use pre-made clay beams to scale and proportion. Specifically, they discover that when you scale up proportionally (i.e.

Wind Tube
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In this activity, learners explore moving air and the physics of lift and drag by constructing homemade wind tunnels.

Balloon Flinker
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In this activity, learners make a helium balloon "flink"--neither float away nor sink to the ground. Use this activity to introduce physics concepts related to gravity, density, and weight.

Paper Cup Stool
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In this activity, learners will explore how and why weight distribution works.
Build a Bridge
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In this activity, learners use recycled materials to build a bridge that holds as many potatoes as possible. They investigate weight, height, strength, and measurement as they seek design solutions.

Balancing Act
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In this activity, learners will build thier own balance scale. Learners will explore weight and comparison through this activity.

Big Things Come in Little Packages
Source Institutions
As a group, learners investigate three packages which are all the same size and shape, but have different contents. One is filled with foam, one is filled with wood, and one is filled with metal.

Paper Chain Testing
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Learners will do an experiment to determine which type of paper is strongest while focusing on variables and collecting data.

Stack 'Em Up
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In this simple and fun activity, learners build a tower of cups to explore distribution of weight. Learners make predictions about their towers and test their designs.

Sticky Structures
Source Institutions
In this engineering/design/arts and crafts activity, learners design and build "platforms" or "bridges" that can hold weight, and test which glue makes the strongest structure.