Build A Better World There are 13 items.
This collection features hands-on engineering activities that challenge patrons to design and build structures for life on Earth and in space. These are perfect for encouraging patrons to use their design and problem-solving skills.
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Build an Earthquake-Resistant Structure
1 Review(s)Create an earthquake simulator using a cardboard shoebox, marbles, and rubber bands. Children and tweens can build structures out of toothpicks and marshmallows, and use the earthquake simulator to test the structures. 1404
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How-to Video -
Toolkit Activity
Building for Hurricanes
1 Review(s)Participants are given simple materials and design requirements, and must plan and build a tower as tall as possible that will hold up a tennis ball while resisting the force of wind from a fan. 481
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Teacher's Guide Provides classroom connections, key concepts, connections to science standards, and additional resources. -
Life on Mars? Nurturing Life
A garden can be a reminder of life’s needs and our connection to the planet we call home. Children consider the requirements of living things and compare the surface conditions on Mars to those found on Earth as they plant gardens. Gardening tips and options for indoors and outdoors are provided. 0
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How-to Video Implementation Guide Provides extensive background information, facilitation outline, materials shopping list, extended supporting media suggestions, correlations to national standards, and more. Teacher's Guide Provides classroom connections, key concepts, connections to science standards, and additional resources. -
Mars Engineering
Mars is a good candidate for finding past and/or present life beyond Earth. Groups of participants design Mars rovers that could search for the building blocks of life in martian rocks and build model rovers out of everyday materials. 0
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Implementation Guide Provides extensive background information, facilitation outline, materials shopping list, extended supporting media suggestions, correlations to national standards, and more. -
Living in the Age of Airplanes: Air Cargo Game and...
Groups of participants create paper airplanes, then use the paper airplanes to race to carry perishable and time-senstive "cargo" (represented by cards). Points are awarded for correctly identifying and successfully transporting items that are time-sensitive by the deadline. The activity includes connections to everyday life and global geography. 0
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Build a Moon Habitat
1 Review(s)Astronauts on the Moon must have homes that protect them like no home on Earth would ever need to do. Teams of participants roll sheets of newspaper to create "logs," which are stapled together to frame a "habitat" and "airlock." The structure is covered with a bedsheet and decorated with the NASA logo. 2050
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Gaining Traction on Mars
Groups of participants create and test various wheel designs and materials on a test vehicle to determine which are most effective on a simulated Martian surface. 0
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Build a Space Colony
2 Review(s)Participants design technology to provide air to breathe, plentiful food, shielding from ultraviolet light, power, and more for space explorers. 9130
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How-to Video Teacher's Guide Provides classroom connections, key concepts, connections to science standards, and additional resources. -
Design A Park
2 Review(s)Participants are invited to imagine the park of their dreams! In small groups, they place movable pieces on a grid, iterating on their plan together to create a plan for a community park. 7066
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How-to Video Implementation Guide Provides extensive background information, facilitation outline, materials shopping list, extended supporting media suggestions, correlations to national standards, and more. Teacher's Guide Provides classroom connections, key concepts, connections to science standards, and additional resources. -
Squishy Circuits
3 Review(s)While learning about conductors, insulators, and the flow of electricity through a circuit, participants use conductive and insulating clay to build a circuit that makes their clay creation light up or buzz. 3465
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How-to Video -
Art and the Cosmic Connection
3 Review(s)Using NASA imagery, participants use images as inspiration for artwork while learning about geology of planetary bodies and moons 8817
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How-to Video -
Parachute Design
2 Review(s)Celebrate the accomplishment's of the Huygen's probe with this classic, STEM-based activity! 3496
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