Building Bridges with Spaghetti


By Donna Giachetti

When you think of spaghetti, what comes to mind?  Delicious swirls of long pasta coated with your favorite sauce?  Or… bridges?  Yes, bridges!  Creating a spaghetti bridge is a tried-and-true engineering challenge that can be done by students of all ages.  The opportunities for variables—and STEM learning—are (nearly) endless!

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Build an Artificial Hand


Donna Giachetti, Educational Innovations

by Donna Giachetti

Designing and building an artificial hand is a great science fair or classroom project.  It’s also a vivid, “hands-on” way to get your students thinking about how such robotic limbs are used in society and industry.  Whether your students work individually or in teams, this activity is a fantastic experience in creativity, problem solving, STEM, and engineering.  Plus, for some students, it may even lead to a future career inspiration!

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3D Printing in the Palm of Your Hand


Educational Innovations Blog

By Laurie Neilsen

I’ve wanted a 3D printer for a long time, but I live in a small apartment where space is limited.  That’s why I was thrilled when Educational Innovations, the company I work for, started selling 3D pens.  They’re much smaller and more affordable than 3D printers, and they don’t require any special computer programs to use.

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Potential and Kinetic Energy Explained


by Arthur Murray

Teaching about potential and kinetic energy is always exciting, whether your students are in kindergarten or college.  There is so much to explore, and the world is full of examples of these types of energy in action.  Any time that you’re chewing gum, typing on your computer, or launching a rubber band into the air…  you are demonstrating potential and kinetic energy in all its glory.

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Engineering in the News


Engineering plays a prominent role in our lives, whether or not we realize it.  Every day, someone creates something we never heard of before:  a synthetic ice skating rink… a new form of cardboard that weighs less than a feather… a faster, lighter drone.  So it’s no wonder we had a tough time deciding on articles about new engineering feats!  Until it dawned on us that the engineers themselves, not their advances, are what really capture our interest.

Happy reading!

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