| Activity | Topic | Grade Level |
Activity Source | Time | Special Materials |
| *Canine House of Cards: Construct a paper building strong enough to support a jumbo dog biscuit. | Buildings | 3-4, 5-6 | FETCH! | 45 min. | Per group: box of dog biscuits |
| Earthquake in the Classroom: Test earthquake-proof buildings on a pan of Jell-O™. | Safety, Earthquake-proofing | 3-4, 5-6 | Teach Engineering | 1 hour | Per group: 8 boxes of Jell-O® made ahead of time in an 8 1/2 x 11 disposable roasting or baking pan. |
| Engineering for the Three Little Pigs: Discover the right materials for the right job. | Materials | 3-4, 5-6 | Teach Engineering | 1 1/2 hours | Per group: watering can, can of non-stick cooking spray, a few bricks. Per group of builders: 4 cups of sand |
| *Financial Support: Build a tower that can support 100 pennies. | Towers | 45 min. | ZOOM | 45 min. | Per group: 3 or 4 sets of 100+ pennies |
| *Marshmallow Tower: Build a tower as high as you can using only marshmallows. | Towers | 3-4, 5-6 | ZOOM | 45 min. | n/a |
| *Paper Tower: Build a structure as tall as you can—using just 2 sheets of newspaper. | Towers | 3-4, 5-6 | ZOOM | 45 min. | n/a |
| Space Shelter: Design a shelter to allow humans to survive on a new planet, and explain it in words. | Shelters | 3-4, 5-6 | Teach Engineering | 1 1/2 hours | n/a |
| *Stack ‘Em Up: Build a tower just out of cups. Remember, the sky’s the limit. | Towers | 3-4, 5-6 | FETCH! | 45 min. | n/a |
| *Straw Tower: Build a skyscraper out of straws. | Towers | 3-4, 5-6 | ZOOM | 45 min. | n/a |
| Tall, Sturdy Building: Build a building strong enough for a gorilla! | Buildings | 3-4, 5-6 | ZOOM | 45 min. | n/a |
| Teepee: Make a teepee you can sit inside! | Teepee | 3-4, 5-6 | Cyberchase | 45 min. | n/a |
| Balsa Towers: Build a tower with balsa wood and glue. | Towers | 5-6, 7-8 | Teach Engineering: | 2 hours | Per team: several 1/4 x 1/4 in. balsa wood strips, 1/8 inch balsa wood sheets, utility knives |
| High Rise: Build a tall tower that can support a tennis ball. | Towers | 5-6, 7-8 | Design Squad | 45 min. | Per group: Electric fan; Per team: a tennis ball |
| *Newspaper Tower: What the tallest tower you can guild using only two sheets of newspaper? | Towers | 5-6, 7-8 | Building Big | 45 min. | n/a |
| Shake It Up! Engineering for Seismic Waves: Design and build shake tables to test the ability of buildings to withstand earthquakes. | Safety, Earthquake-proofing | 5-6, 7-8 | Teach Engineering | 1 1/2 hours | For leader: a shake table, using a variable speed drill (instructions included); Per team: shoebox, wooden board 10 marbles, hot glue gun. |
| Shallow and Deep Foundations: Students investigate the differences between shallow and deep foundations. | Foundations | 5-6, 7-8 | Teach Engineering | 1 hour | Per group: a scale & wood working tools: drill, saw, etc. Per team: cardboard box (12x12x12 in.); potting (about 2 gallons); rocks or pebbles (10 cups); sand (about 1.25 gallons); wood block (2x2x1 in. deep); 1/2-in at least 12.5 in long. |
| Speedy Shelter: Invent a sturdy shelter that’s easy to build. | Shelters | 5-6, 7-8 | Design Squad | 1 hour | Per team: 2 cardboard sheets (8.5 x 11 in.); 16 3-ft. bamboo plant stakes; 3 33- or 42-gal. garbage bags |
| Tall Tower Challenge: Engineer the tallest tower they can build using just straws, pipe cleaners, and paperclips. | Towers | 5-6, 7-8 | Try Engineering | 1 hour | n/a |
| Tower Investigation and the Egg: Design and build three types of towers that they hold an egg one foot high for 15 seconds. | Towers | 5-6, 7-8 | Teach Engineering | 1 hour | Per team: about 10 cardboard tubes and several sheets of cardboard (purchase sheets from local paper suppliers or ask for donations; have students help collect cardboard tubes several weeks ahead of time); an egg. |
| Leaning Tower of Pasta: Use spaghetti and marshmallows to understand compression and tension. | Towers | 7-8 | Teach Engineering | 45 min. | n/a |
*Indicates whether an activity is suitable for a community event. Activities considered appropriate for a large-scale community event are attention-grabbing but simple; use inexpensive materials; require minimal instruction, supervision, and cleanup; and can be modified to take place over a short period of time (about 15-20 minutes).
