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Building castles at the beach may seem mere child's play, each turret a brief triumph over wind and waves. But sand - or silica, as the mineral-and-rock grains are known - has been a crucial construction material since ancient times. Today it is found in everything from bricks to cement to glass. Your civil engineers will dig this end-of-summer activity. See if their structures hold up!
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| Activity: Engineering for the Three Little Pigs
Students in grades 3 to 5 learn about the importance engineers place on using the right materials by building three different sand castles and testing them for strength and resistance to weathering.
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RELATED LESSONS
Sand and Water (Grades 3-8)
Concrete for Kids (K-12)
MORE LESSONS:
Grades K-5 | Grades 6-8 | Grades 9-12
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Feature: Lighter Than a Feather
That's no chocolate wafer perched atop a dandelion, but the world's lightest material. Created for DARPA by researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, the nickel micro-lattice's design was inspired by the strong, lightweight architecture of structures like the Eiffel Tower.
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RELATED FEATURES:
Students Win Disaster Shelter Design Contest
Meet Materials Engineering Major Wendy Peng
Philadelphia Eagles Build a Green Stadium
Engineering as Art: Theo Jansen's Beach-combing Strandbeesten
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| Spotlight: Videos Teach Core STEM Concepts
 Are your students vexed by vectors or stymied by simple machines? MIT's Teaching and Learning Lab and the Singapore University of Technology and Design have teamed up to produce a series of free STEM Concept Videos designed to help students learn these and other pivotal ideas in science, technology, engineering, mathematics.
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Announcements
SMART Competition. -- Redesigning a gym is the theme of this year's intelligent-building challenge for high school students. Registration opened Aug. 18. Learn more.
Google RISE Awards. -- Receive up to $50,000 to start or expand a computer science program for girls or underrepresented groups. Apply by Sept. 30. Learn more.
STEM Teacher Scholarships -- Applications just opened for Engineering is Elementary's professional development workshops. Funds include travel to Boston. Learn more.
Verizon Innovative App Challenge. -- Middle and high school students need not be techies to dream up a $20,000 winning app idea. Registration began Aug. 4. Learn more.
Engineering for You. Vote by Sept. 1 for your favorite video in the National Academy of Engineering's 50th anniversary contest. Learn more.
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 It's never too early to learn about engineering. Along with our 5th Edition magazine and classroom cards, Engineering, Go For It offers an engaging children's book in its collection of learning materials.
"If I Were an Engineer," from the American Society for Engineering Education, is a fun, 40-page rhyming book that introduces engineering to kids 5 to 8 years old. It includes a parent page that explains the various engineering disciplines. Price: $7.95 Now available in our store. |
