Introductory engineering experiences for after school programs and elementary school students (ages 8 to 12). Funded by the National Science Foundation and developed by Education Development Center, Inc.
Design It! includes a guide for each project and a special guide for implementing all of the projects. These extended projects allow for the development of basic engineering principles (such as troubleshooting and optimization), exemplify the design process and promote problem solving and creativity.
In this project, children build their own simple pinball games complete with bumpers, traps, flippers and plungers. Children assign their own numbers to their traps and decide where they should be, and they test different methods of launching the ball. Embedded in the gaming are opportunities for practicing math skills. Instructional Material, 61 Pages.