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Boomerang
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Learners trace, cut out and fly a boomerang, outdoors or in a large indoor space.
Sled Kite
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In this activity, learners build a sled kite that models a type of airfoil called a parawing.
Helicopter Twirl
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Learners cut and fold a paper helicopter from the template in this PDF. They practice twirling the helicopter and observe what happens as they modify their tries.
Polymers are Chains (K-2)
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In this activity, learners make a paper model of a polymer, then make Silly Putty, an actual polymer.
Hot Air Balloon
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In this activity, learners build a hot air balloon using just a few sheets of tissue paper and a hair dryer.
Hand Spin Helicopter
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In this activity, learners build helicopters and launchers using wooden dowels and scrap paper. Use this activity to explore rotational motion and kinetic and potential energy.
Eye Spy
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This fun activity uses simple materials such as milk cartons and mirrors to introduce the ideas of optics and visual perception.
Action Figure
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In this project, students explore how levers work, by making a puppet with moving limbs.
Designing a Wall
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In this engineering activity (page 5 of PDF), young learners investigate how materials and design contribute to the strength of a structure, particularly walls.
Full of Hot Air: Hot Air Balloon Building
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In this activity, learners create a model of a hot air balloon using tissue paper and a hairdryer. Educators can use this activity to introduce learners to density and its role in why things float.
Straws and Airplanes
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Create airplanes from straws and geometric shapes. Test them out to see how far they can fly, or how accurately they can be aimed.
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.
Exploring the Solar System: Moonquakes
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In this activity, learners sort different natural phenomena into categories (they occur on Earth, on the Moon, or on both), and then model how energy moves during a quake using spring toys.
Thrill Ride
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In this activity, learners will build a roller coaster for a marble to run on using everyday household materials such as paper towel or toilet paper rolls, cups, boxes, books, buckets, chairs, etc.
Air Cannon
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In this activity, learners create air cannons out of everyday materials. Learners use their air cannons to investigate air as a force and air pressure.
Soapy Boat
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Learners discover that soap can be used to power a boat. Learners make a simple, flat boat model, put it in water, and then add a drop of detergent at the back of the boat.
Vortex
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In this activity, learners create a tornado in a bottle to observe a spiraling, funnel-shaped vortex. A simple connector device allows water to drain from a 2-liter bottle into a second bottle.
Digger
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In this activity, learners build their own construction cranes using tongue depressors and pushpins.
Levers at Play
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In this activity, learners consider how a simple machine, a lever, turns a small push or pull (a small force) into a larger--or stronger--push or pull (a larger force).
Hydraulic Car
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In this activity, learners build cars using syringes and water-powered hydraulics. Learners construct the car frame out of cardboard and set up a hydraulic system to raise and lower the car.