Whether you live outside of our program cities or just can't get enough, Next Engineers: Challenge Yourself offers resources for at-home and in-class engineering exploration. These resources come in three categories:
- Experiment and Explore: Discover awesome science and explore how you can use it to make a world that works.
- Build it!: On your own or with friends, try some of our favorite engineering challenges.
- Nerd out: Spend 5 minutes learning about amazing engineers and their engineering feats.
In this Build It! challenge, you will get to design and build your own “animal hotel” for a wild animal of your choice living in your local area.
Welcome to the very big world of the very small. You may have heard about nanotechnology but what exactly is it and why does it matter? Find out in this Nerd Out series!
In this Build It! activity, you will design and build your own tabletop game while you explore the similarities between game design and the engineering design process.
In this Experiment and Explore activity, you will discover the awesome power of hydraulics and explore ways engineers put this to work to solve real-world problems.
Design and build a way to make the perfect cooked breakfast without using fire, gas, or electricity.
Webb is designed to see the infrared part of the spectrum. But why? Find out in this Nerd Out!
In this design challenge is to design and build a soundproof box, one that will keep as much sound as possible from getting out.
What kind of waves are sound waves? How does sound travel? Learn the basics of sound in this Nerd Out!
Parking in space isn't easy - find out how the James Webb Space Telescope manages to sit in the perfect spot in this Nerd Out!
What really is sound and what does it look like? Experiment with the properties of sound and explore the patterns that different kinds of sounds make.
How can the James Webb Space Telescope be solar hot on one side, but space cool on the other? Find out in this Nerd Out!
Aren't magnets fascinating? In this Experiment and Explore activity, you will discover the hidden relationship between electricity and magnetism!
In this Experiment and Explore activity, you will discover a liquid that is also a solid, experiment with its properties, and explore ways engineers might put it to work to solve real-world problems.
Let's explore how electromagnets are used in real life. In this Build It! activity, you will create your own telegraph machine!
Why are the James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors hexagons? Find out in this Nerd Out!
March 14 is Pi Day! Start here to get to know pi a little better.
Are time machines real? Can we see back in time? Learn how NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will help us see further back in time than ever before!
Dive deeper into how the James Webb Space Telescope helps us see into the past.
A Note for Teachers and Parents
At Next Engineers, we think engineering is amazing and that engineering is for everyone. So, we created Challenge Yourself: a series of activities and resources to give everyone the opportunity to explore engineering.
You will find three different kinds of resources:
- Experiment and Explore gives students an opportunity to investigate important science phenomena and think about how these can be used to solve problems. Each begins with simple experiments that you can do in class or at home along with ideas and suggestions for how you can extend and deepen the learning. They end with a challenge to apply this learning by engineering solutions to create a world that works. How far you go is up to you. Do only the initial investigation or challenge your students or child to build and test their own engineering designs.
- Build it! are some of our favorite engineering design challenges. As the name suggests, these are challenges that require a built response from individuals or teams. We have chosen challenges that invite a wide range of design solutions of varying complexities so that they are accessible to younger and older children alike. In each case, an extension is offered for those young engineers who want more of a challenge. Shepherd your students or child through the engineering design process or get your hands dirty and Build it! with them.
- Nerd Out offers brief descriptions of some of the world’s most amazing engineers and their engineering feats. Each piece includes moments for readers to stop and have a think about the science and mathematics involved. Teachers, use Nerd Out to design your own integrated STEM learning experiences or as the basis for class research projects. Parents, use Nerd Out to start conversations with your child about the wonderful world that engineers can help create.
Above all, we invite you and the children you’re educating to have fun!
If you have any questions or feedback, you can reach us at NextEngineers@fhi360.org. Thank you for exploring with Next Engineers!
