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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 activity (pages 3-4), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.

Play with your food while learning about engineering! Build a spaghetti bridge, then test its strength by piling on the marshmallows, raw spaghetti, raw linguine and coins.

In this activity (pages 17-31), learners are introduced to techniques that are used to determine the structures of solid 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.

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

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 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

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.

In this hands-on activity, learners investigate the functional design of leaves on a tree.

In this design challenge activity, learners build a tower that can support a tennis ball at least 18 inches off the ground while withstanding the wind from a fan.

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 activity (pages 13-14), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.

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.

This paper describes a working-model demonstration of Ernest Rutherford's 1911 experiment about the nature of atoms.

In this engineering activity, young learners investigate multi-level buildings.

In this activity (pages 32-41), learners learn how the atomic and molecular arrangement of matter are related to physical properties.