Girl holding a model of a spacecraft she built with Design Build Test engineering activity

Engineering

A compilation of engineering hands-on educational and professional development resources. Also included are resources for annual events including National Engineers Week, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, National Robotics Week, International Women in Engineering Day, and more.

Featured Hands-on Activities and Resources

Explore all engineering and technology hands-on activities
learners assemble their space craft models

Exploring the Solar System: Design, Build, Test activity

In this activity, learners will imagine, draw, and build their own simple model spacecraft. Then they will place the model through a series of tests.
Educator and children exploring hydrophobic properties of lotus leaf and nano nano pants in NanoDays activity

NanoDays Kit

Public programs, hands-on activities, and professional development resources about nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and their impact on society.
Photograph of an Apple iPhone motherboard.

Computer Science

A compilation of public engagement computing and computer science resources. Also included are resources for annual events including CS Week and the Hour of Code.
Facilitator and learner look at a meteorite sample

Exploring the Solar System: Asteroid Mining

In this activity, learners imagine the challenges and opportunities of asteroid mining by drawing their own asteroid mining machines.

Process of Engineering

learners assemble their space craft models

Exploring the Solar System: Design, Build, Test activity

In this activity, learners will imagine, draw, and build their own simple model spacecraft. Then they will place the model through a series of tests.

Activities encouraging reflection about responsible innovation and societal impacts

Children with surprised faces and adults using the Frankenstein kit Battery Stack activity - adults dressed as Mary Shelley and the Monster

Frankenstein 200 Kit

Hands-on activities and professional development resources that encourage creativity and reflection about responsible innovation, developed in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.
Children using Building with Biology kit of parts activity with colored blocks and cards

Building with Biology Kit

Engaging activities and professional development resources to create conversations about the emerging field of synthetic biology and societal implications.
Mosquito up close on human hand

"Should We Engineer the Mosquito?" Forum

Building with Biology public forum where participants discuss whether the mosquito should be genetically engineered.
Green spherical Nano mini-exhibition logo

Nano and Society Training Materials

Professional development training tools to prepare staff and volunteers to facilitate Nano and Society activities.
Hands holding glass objects on a string in a beaker of liquid

Exploring Nano & Society - Invisibility Cloak

In this activity, learners explore how refraction can be used to make a glass stir rod "disappear" in a cup of baby oil, while having conversations about new technologies.
Two learners and one facilitator look and discuss a space elevator concept that one of the learners drew on paper

Exploring Nano & Society - Space Elevator

In this activity, learners imagine and draw what a space elevator might look like, what support systems would surround it, and what other technologies it might enable.
An overhead shot of a learner holding and comparing different theoretical technologies summarized on sheets of paper

Exploring Nano & Society - You Decide!

In this activity, learners sort and prioritize cards with new nanotechnologies according to their own values and the values of others.
Family of four arrange objects that represent different nano subjects on a balance table

Exploring Nano & Society - Tippy Table

In this activity, learners have a conversation about additional blocks they can place on the tippy table component of the Nano Mini-Exhibition.
Two girls discuss their ideas for flying cars with toy car props to a facilitator

Exploring Nano & Society - Flying Cars

In this activity, learners imagine and build a flying car out of small foam pieces while having conversations about future technology.
selection of cards showing technology and people

Neuro Futures Card Game

Prioritize cards with new neurotechnologies according to your own values and the values of others.
A bracket containing different neurotechnology cards

Neuro Futures Championship Game

Pit new neurotechnologies head-to-head using a March Madness-style bracket.
cards showing human attributes and robot jobs

What Makes Us Human

Explore what it means to be human and how humanlike machines might become.

More Resources

Robots

Illustration of nano-sized robots

Shrinking Robots!

In this program and stage presentation, learners design and build a robot toy from recycled and craft materials after hearing a presentation about the challenges in creating nano-sized robots.
Learners holding image drawings of robots

Robots & People

In this activity, learners imagine and draw a robot for a particular task after a quick presentation on robots and nanobots.
Image showing an illustration of a Mars rover

Is That Robot Real? children's book and poster

Book, graphics panels, and evaluation report on fact and fiction around robots.
cards showing human attributes and robot jobs

What Makes Us Human

Explore what it means to be human and how humanlike machines might become.
A learner gives commands to another learner who is blindfolded and is navigating a obstacle course.

Exploring the Solar System: Mars Rovers

In this activity, learners must work together to navigate a large obstacle course, similar to how scientists and engineers communicate with rovers to explore distant worlds.
Family playing Explore Mars! A Rover Game board game

Explore Mars! A Rover Game

In this cooperative board game, players work together to program a rover on Mars to successfully complete its mission. Players must collect all four data samples before the treacherous environment damages the rover beyond repair!

Annual Events

Working with STEM Experts Guide cover including an image of expert puring a liquid and using a strainer with a girl and her family at a museum public event

Finding STEM Experts