Engineering

 

"Race Track Challenge" offers an engineering opportunity for children and adults. It is a workstation for building functioning cars from simple construction toy components, combined with a track for racing them. Creativity and ingenuity abound as visitors make their own decisions about which parts to use, how to get power to the wheels, and how to distribute the weight. Using the array of parts provided, visitors engineer any number of variations on an automotive theme, from tiny lightweight racers to giant four-wheel drive behemoths, to long sleek cruisers. Accompanying graphics illustrate examples of finished cars. The activity encourages cooperation and collaboration, while infusing a little friendly competition. Feedback is immediate – if your car moves, you're a success! If your car moves faster than your friend's, even better!

"The Way Things Work" is an interactive computer program that can be tapped for information about creating machines, discovering materials, designing structures, and improving communication.