Make and Break: An Engineering Lab for Beginners

In August we visited West Valley Branch Library and Cambrian Branch Library to present Make and Break: An Engineering Lab for Beginners. This month’s lab aimed to introduce participants to the engineering field and provide an overview of the prototype and build process. 

Participants engaged in two engineering-based activities to kick off the lab: paper cars and rocket launching. Students creating paper cars explored the mechanics of car wheels as they folded paper for their car's body and used bottle caps to set their vehicle in motion. Rocket launching allowed students to witness the relationship between explosive force and gravity and introduced them to the concept of aerodynamics.

Make and Break wrapped up with a final challenge where participants competed in teams to build the tallest tower out of spaghetti sticks and marshmallows. The challenge encouraged curiosity in the process behind architectural stability and teams worked together through trial and error. All in all, we had an excellent time guiding students through this lab’s activities and we’re excited to meet curious minds that join us for next month’s workshops!