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Lifting with Levers!
Source Institutions
In this fun hands-on activity learners explore a simple machine: the lever. What happens to a load when you multiply the length of a lever? Find out here!
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Canine House of Cards
Source Institutions
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.
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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.
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Exploring Structures
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This event guide features three related explorations in which learners investigate the following science concepts: how you design and build a structure helps determine how strong it will be; different
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Designing a Wall
Source Institutions
In this engineering activity (page 5 of PDF), young learners investigate how materials and design contribute to the strength of a structure, particularly walls.
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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.
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Paper Bridges
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In this activity, learners build bridges using paper and explore how much weight each bridge design can support.
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Paper Bridge
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In this engineering activity, challenge learners to construct a paper bridge that can support 100 pennies.
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Critical Load
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In this activity, learners explore the concepts of structural engineering and how to measure the critical load, or the maximum weight a structure can bear.
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Block Bowling
Source Institutions
In this activity learners will build structures out of blocks and then roll balls to try to knock them down.
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Clay Beams and Columns
Source Institutions
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.
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Tall Tower Challenge
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In this activity, learners explore the design of tall structures such as skyscrapers and telecommunication towers.
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Leaning Tower of Pasta
Learners build structures from spaghetti and marshmallows to determine which structures are able to handle the greatest load.
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Earthquake-Proof Buildings
Source Institutions
In this geology and engineering activity (page 7 of the PDF), learners build an earthquake simulator, then use it to test various building designs, exploring different materials, shapes, and design op
Build a Super Structure
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In this activity, learners use things from the kitchen as building materials to explore how shapes contribute to the strength of different structures.
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Super Golf Tower
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In this engineering activity, challenge learners to build a tower out of 10 sheets of newspaper and 3 feet of masking tape, which can hold a golf ball balancing at the top.
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Apartment Buildings and More
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In this engineering activity, young learners investigate multi-level buildings.
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Zero-Energy Housing
In this activity, learners investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating.
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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.
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Building Tall
Source Institutions
In this engineering activity (page 2 of PDF), young learners investigate how a wide base can make a building more stable. Learners use blocks or boxes of different sizes to construct stable towers.