ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

Can you create your own rocket launching station and an awesome aircraft to go with it?


Rubber bands
Balloon
Toilet paper tube
Paper
Scissors & tape

There are four basic forces acting on your rocket – lift, thrust, drag, and weight. 

(forwards) are the forces that will send your rocket flying! 

 Try using your rocket launcher to launch different types of rockets – which rockets fly highest? Straightest? Furthest?

the Challenge: Design and build a rocket and launching station. 

Your Design: What will your rocket be made of? How will your rocket get the energy it needs to fly? 

a Prototype: Build a test rocket and launcher! 

Your Creation: Did your launcher work? How far did your rocket go? 

Your Design: Can you design a rocket that travels farther? How can you make your launcher more powerful?

Rocket Launch 

Can you design a cart that can carry a metal spoon down a zipline?

Down the Zipline

Mighty Tower: Can you build a tower out of newspaper?

Mighty Tower

Can you create a marble run that takes a marble more than 15 seconds to complete?

Slow Marbles

Can you build a tool to pick up a ping pong ball using only one hand?

The Scoop

Can you design a container that keeps your crash test object safe?

Survive the Stairs

Can you change the shape of tin foil to make it float?

Float Your Boat

Can you design a contraption that launches a pom pom all the way across the room? 

Launch, Fling, Fly

Make a Maze

Can you design a sail that harnesses the power of wind to move your cardboard boat?

Sail Away

Can you design a fish that doesn’t sink or float to the surface?

Build a Fish

Introduction to the Engineering Design Process 

You can try these engineering design challenges with materials you might already have! The goal is to get you thinking like an engineer with problem-solving and having some hands-on, learning fun. Each challenge has a list of suggested materials, background science concepts, and some options to extend the challenge. We also walk you through the steps of the Engineering Design Process (define the problem, plan a solution, create a prototype, test your design, and improve your creation) with guiding questions to help along the way.

Resource Kits

Object Library

Museums

Engineer It! at home

Rocket Launch

Background Knowledge