Engineering Design Challenges
NASA engineers turn dreams into reality. These NASA-themed design challenges and activities will ignite your students' interests. Activities are easily modified and adapted.
NASA eClipsTM
Biomechanical Jumping Machine Engineering Design Challenge
The Biomechanical Jumping Machine challenges learners to explore how muscles and bones work together to help people move. Learners are challenged to
design and build a model that simulates a jumping motion.
Audience: Educators
NASA eClipsTM
Biomechanical Jumping Machine Elementary Engineering Design Packet
Learners are introduced to biomechanics and the importance for astronauts to exercise to stay physically fit while in space. Using the engineering
design process, learners work as biomedical engineers to design and build a Biomechanical Jumping Machine to show the importance of muscles in movement.
Audience: Elementary
NASA eClipsTM
Biomechanical Jumping Machine Secondary Engineering Design Packet
Using the Engineering Design Process, learners assume the role of a biomedical engineer to design and build a Biomechanical Jumping Machine to show the
importance of muscles in movement.
Audience: Secondary
NASA eClipsTM
Plant
Growth
Habitat Engineering Design Challenge
Learners select a flowering plant and design a prototype plant growth habitat that could be
used on the Moon or anywhere beyond Earth. They will also be challenged to design and build
a pollinator.
NASA eClipsTM
Gingerneering
Structure Design Challenge
Design and create an edible structure on the surface of the Moon with your family.
NASA eClipsTM
Spotlite
Video Design Challenge: Cloud Detectives
NASA eClipsTM has partnered with NASA’s Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC), The
GLOBE Program, and GLOBE Observer to co-develop and promote the NASA Spotlite Challenge:
Cloud Detectives. Student teams are asked to select a cloud misconception to investigate and
make a claim to refute the misconception. Teams are then challenged to write an engaging
script that includes a demonstration on how to use the GLOBE cloud protocols to disprove the
misconception.
NISE Network
Exploring the
Solar System: Design, Build, Test
Participants will imagine a scientific mission to space, draw inspiration from existing
spacecraft, and then design and build their own simple model spacecraft to accomplish the
goals of their mission.
NISE Network
Exploring
the Solar System: Asteroid Mining
Participants will imagine the challenges and opportunities of asteroid mining. Participants
will draw their own asteroid mining machines, and consider how these devices would extract,
process, and return mined materials to Earth.
NISE Network
Building
with Biology: Super Organisms
In this activity focused on synthetic biology, learners use the engineering design process
to design a single-celled organism to clean up an oil spill to learn more about synthetic
biology.
Infiniscope
Space Explorations: Phases of the
Moon
Explore the phases of the Moon in this cool 80's retro style experience featuring your AI
friend LuCIA. Use a model to identify inaccuracies in LuCIA’s coding. Sequence a variety of
Moon phase diagrams to “Reprogram” her code. Test the new code to improve the clarity of the
galaxy image and reprogram her until a clear image is achieved.
PLANETS
Water
in Extreme Environments Out-of-School Time educator guide
Water in Extreme Environments engages youth in collaborative teams to engineer water filters
with basic materials, and by playing a game to learn about where water can be found in our
solar system.
Audience: Middle grades
PLANETS
Remote Sensing
Out-of-School Time educator guide
In this unit, youth use the Engineering Design Process to design remote sensing devices that
can help scientists learn about a newly discovered moon.
Audience: Middle grades
PLANETS
Space Hazards
Out-of-School Time educator guide
Space Hazards engages youth in collaborative teams to engineer space gloves with basic
materials, and by playing a game to learn about hazards and ways to mitigate them for space
missions.
Audience: Elementary grades 3-5
NASA eClips
NASA
Launchpad: The Great Boomerang Challenge
Students think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow the engineering design
process to design, build, test, and re-design a boomerang. Once the boomerang is built,
students explain and demonstrate how different forces affect its flight. Students research
and explore basic aerodynamics forces and explain their applications to boomerang flight.
Students compare what they observe with a Teaching from Space NASA eClips™ video segment to
learn more about how boomerangs react in a near zero gravity environment.
Audience: High school
NASA eClips
NASA's
Real World: Balloon Aerodynamics Challenge 1 and 2
Students think and act like scientists and engineers as they follow the Design Process to
density to design a series of balloons that float at different heights. Advanced classes or
students also attach sensors to the balloons to gather environmental data. Students compare
what they observe with a Teaching from Space NASA eClips™ video segment to learn more about
forces and motion in a near zero gravity environment and how these forces act similarly or
differently than they do in Earth’s gravity.
Audience: Middle and High School
NASA eClips
Our
World: Recycled Crew Exploration Vehicle
Students are introduced to the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and NASA’s plans to
return to the Moon in this lesson. They work in teams to think and act like engineers as
they design and build a model of their own CEV using recycled materials.
Audience: Upper Elementary
NASA eClips
Our
World: Designing a Shower Clock
Students think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow the Design Process to
design, measure, build, test, and re-design a shower clock. Once the shower clock is built,
students discuss ways to conserve and recycle water. Students view a Teaching from Space
NASA eClips video segment, then relate water conservation issues on the ISS to those in
their daily lives.
Audience: Upper Elementary
NASA eClips
Our
World: Designing a Cloud Cover Estimator
Students think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow the Design Process to
design, measure, build, test, and redesign a cloud cover estimator to measure the amount of
cloud cover in the sky. Once the cloud cover estimator is built, students discuss the role
clouds play in Earth’s energy budget.
Audience: Upper Elementary and Middle School
GLOBE Observer
Build
a Better Mosquito Trap
Build a simple trap to capture mosquito eggs and larvae using recycled or inexpensive
materials. Make this an engineering challenge by reimagining the mosquito trap to be sturdy
(won’t tip over or break), with the following attributes: appealing for mosquitoes to lay
their eggs (dark cover, non-slip surface); allows eggs to drop in, though after they hatch,
the adults cannot escape. The trap can collect precipitation. In the trap, larvae must be
easy to see, count, and retrieve -- this is the data requested in the GLOBE Observer citizen
science app.