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Launch It
Add to list DetailsIn this design challenge activity, learners use a balloon and other simple materials to design an air-powered rocket that can hit a distant target.
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Electric Paddle Boat
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In this activity, learners build an electric two-paddle boat using paint paddles, plastic knives, and empty water bottles.
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Gumdrop Dome
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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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Kinematic Fanatic
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In this activity, learners are challenged to design and build a system of gears and kinematics to create a hand-stamping machine.
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Solar Powered Cooking
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In this activity, learners make a solar oven. Learners witness the awesome power of the sun to make a yummy treat--a chocolate chip cookie!
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Four Corners
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In this design challenge activity, learners build a machine out of cardboard that runs smoothly and dependably. Learners must be precise to make sure their component works properly.
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Helping Hand
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In this invention challenge activity, learners see how many objects they can grab with a homemade "bionic" arm.
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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.
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.
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Foam Tower
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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
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Blow-and-Go Parachute
Learners make a skydiver and parachute contraption and launch it. They see that the drag created by air resistance slows the descent of skydivers as they travel back to Earth.
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Glow Up
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In this activity, learners explore chemiluminescence and fluorescence. Learners examine 3 different solutions in regular light, in the dark with added bleach solution, and under a black light.
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Geothermal Power Plant Model
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In this activity, learners make a model of a power plant that uses steam. Learners use simple materials like foil, a tin can, and a pot of water to model a geothermal power plant.
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Night Lights
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In this activity, learners create night lights using a plastic cup, programmable PICO Cricket, tri-color LED, and sensor.
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Push Pull Painter
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In this activity, learners create painting machines that can paint moving forwards and backwards.
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Aviary Architect
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In this activity, learners are challenged to design, build and test a birdhouse that will stay cool in the sun.
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Kinetic Sculpture
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In this design challenge activity, learners build a tower that’s at least 12 inches high with two or more parts that move (spin, sway, or flap) in the wind.
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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.
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Wingin' It
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Learners explore the Bernoulli effect by building an airfoil (airplane wing) and making it fly.
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Sound Representation: Modems Unplugged
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In this activity, learners listen to songs and decode hidden messages based on the same principle as a modem. As a final challenge, learners decode the binary messages in a music video.