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Dunking the Planets
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In this demonstration, learners compare the relative sizes and masses of scale models of the planets as represented by fruits and other foods.
Sled Kite
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In this activity, learners build a sled kite that models a type of airfoil called a parawing.
As Straight as a Pole
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In this engineering activity (page 3 of PDF), young learners investigate how a pole can be made stable by “planting” its base in the ground or adding supports to the base.
Biodomes Engineering Design Project
In this design-based activity, learners explore environments, ecosystems, energy flow and organism interactions by creating a model biodome. Learners become engineers who create model ecosystems.
Up, Up and Away with Bottles
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In this activity, learners make water rockets to explore Newton's Third Law of Motion. Learners make the rockets out of plastic bottles and use a bicycle pump to pump them with air.
Rocket Pinwheel
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This is an activity about motion, power, air and Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The Parachuting Egg
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In this activity, learners work in groups to design a parachute out of household items that keeps an egg secure when dropped from a certain height.
Garden Poles
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In this activity, learners build large-scale structures and cantilevers in a series of "building out" challenges with garden poles and tape.
Rocket Wind Tunnel
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In this activity, learners evaluate the potential performance of air rockets placed inside a wind tunnel.
Solar System in My Neighborhood
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In this activity, learners shrink the scale of the vast solar system to the size of their neighborhood.
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.
Pitch, Roll and Yaw: The Three Axes of Rotation
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In this activity (page 87 of the PDF), learners move their bodies to better understand the three axes of rotation: pitch, roll and yaw.
Bring it into Focus
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In this activity (page 2 of PDF), learners play with a lens and a piece of paper to focus an image on the paper. Learners look at different things, and see how the lenses affect the image.
Racing with the Sun: Creating a Solar Car
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Learners use engineering design principles to construct and test a fully solar-powered car. Solar car kits usually include a photovoltaic cell and motor; some include a chassis as well.
As the Rotor Turns: Wind Power and You
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In this engineering activity, learners will get acquainted with the basics of wind energy and power production by fabricating and testing various blade designs for table-top windmills constructed from
The Thousand-Yard Model
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This is a classic exercise for visualizing the scale of the Solar System.
Saguaro Nest Cavities
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This activity (on page 3 of the PDF under GPS: Cactus Activity) is a full inquiry investigation into how some desert birds keep their cool.
Lift Off!
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This activity (on page 2 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Lift Off) is a full inquiry investigation into the engineering challenges of sending scientific sensors into space.
Milk Carton Boats
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This activity (on page 2 of the PDF SciGirls Activity: Milk Carton Boat) is a full inquiry investigation into boat hull design.
Design and Build a Wind Vane
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In this activity, learners design and build a simple wind vane —one of the oldest kinds of weather tools— and use it to show wind direction.