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This design challenge is an open-ended exploration of linkages, a group of parts connected by hinges, and the types of motion they can create.

In this activity (on page 2 of the PDF under GPS: Sailboat Design Activity), learners will discover how the shape of an object, not just its weight, determines whether it floats or sinks.

In this outdoor activity, learners dig for and collect isopods (sometimes known as "roly-poly bugs" or "potato bugs" and other names).

Using toothpicks, straws, or tubes of rolled up newspaper, learners create 3-dimensional models to illustrate the basic structure and function of the cell membrane, and place an object inside to repre

In this engineering activity, learners investigate the differences between the strength of bridges made from flat and round building materials.

In this quick activity (page 1 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Tug O' War), learners will test how many pennies a flat paper index card bridging the gap between two stacks of books is able to supp

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.

Learners work with plastic sheeting, masking tape, and string to design the perfect material for plastic chair webbing, and then construct their webbing.

In this engineering activity (page 5 of PDF), young learners investigate how materials and design contribute to the strength of a structure, particularly walls.

In this activity (page 1 of the PDF under SciGirls Activity: Water Slides), learners will whip up some suds with a cup of water and a tablespoon of dish soap until the bubbles are stiff enough to star

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.

Build and test a scale model of a rainforest canopy walkway.

Each group of learners uses everyday materials, such as paper, toothpicks, and tape to design and construct a structure intended to support the weight of a cinder block for 30 seconds.

No glue is needed for learners of any age to become marshmallow architects or engineers.

In this activity about problem-solving, learners build a house for the Three Little Pigs using twenty straws and two index cards.

In this outdoor activity, learners make models of homes that might protect small animals from the elements, then search living plants for real structures made by small animals.

In this activity, learners create a soil and water model of a single-cell life environment and study living microorganisms.

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.

In this playful activity, learners explore the structure of the cell—the basic unit of every living organism—by creating a model of cell structures using soap bubbles, and by examining a slice of onio

In this activity about saturation (page 1 of PDF under SciGirls Activity: Sand Dunes), learners will build a series of sand castle towers using a 16 oz cup.