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Applied Science & Engineering
Building and making amazing things
What You'll Learn π―
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Launch a Catapult
Build a marshmallow catapult from craft sticks and discover how elastic energy converts to flying power
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Design and Redesign
Real engineers test their design, find what is weak, and build Version 2! That's exactly what you'll do
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Measure and Record
Collect data on your launches β track distance, height, and results just like a real engineering team
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Build a Rocket
Make a balloon rocket and discover the same force that sends real rockets to space β Newton's Third Law
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Solve a Challenge
Can your catapult launch farther than Fix's first design? Apply engineering thinking to beat the record!
Applied Science & Engineering
What is it?
Applied science and engineering is all about using what you know about science to build and fix real things in the real world! While scientists ask "why does this happen?", engineers ask "how can we use that to make something amazing?" Engineers design bridges, rockets, catapults, and everything in between.
In Little Lab Challenges, engineering shows up in two big Season 1 experiments. Episode 3 is Balloon Rocket Races β where you build a rocket on a string using nothing but a balloon, fishing line, and tape, and discover that pushing air backward makes the rocket shoot forward. That is Newton's Third Law of Motion! Episode 6 is Mini Marshmallow Catapult β where you build a real catapult from 7 craft sticks and rubber bands, test three pull-back distances, collect data, and then redesign your catapult to launch even farther.
π§ The Engineering Design Process!
Real engineers always follow the same steps: Identify the problem β Design a solution β Build it β Test it β Find what failed β Redesign β Test again! In Episodes 3 and 6, you go through this whole cycle. The catapult redesign in Episode 6 is the most complete engineering design challenge in Season 1.
Engineering is one of the most hands-on science topics in the Brainiac Bunch network β every experiment builds something, every build gets tested, and every test teaches you something new. The best engineers are never finished; they are always asking "what could I make better?"
π§Episodes About
Applied Science & Engineering
Listen and learn!
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Sound Wave Jumping Rice
Put rice on plastic wrap and play music β the rice will jump and dance! Discover how sound is actually a physical wave that can move things.
14β20 minutes
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Little Lab Challenges
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Mini Marshmallow Catapult
Build your own catapult from craft sticks and rubber bands, then test different launch distances to find the perfect shot!
14β20 minutes
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Little Lab Challenges
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Balloon Rocket Races
Build a balloon rocket on a string and race different balloon sizes! Discover why rockets fly and find the perfect launch setup.
14β20 minutes
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Little Lab Challenges
Learn new vocabulary!
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Density (Liquids)
How liquids like honey, oil, and water stack into neat layers based on how packed together they are!
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Kinetic Energy
The energy something has because it is moving!
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Vibration
A fast back-and-forth shaking motion that creates the sounds we hear!
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Elastic Potential Energy
Stored-up energy inside something stretchy, like a rubber band, just waiting to be released!
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Sound Wave
The invisible ripple that carries a vibration through the air all the way to your ears!
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Thrust
The forward push that moves something like a rocket, balloon, or airplane through the air!
Printables and Packs π¨οΈ
Take learning offline!
Learning Path π€οΈ
What to explore next!
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Start Here
Science Basics
Start with how science works before building
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YOU ARE HERE!
Applied Science & Engineering
Building and making amazing things
β‘
Next Up
Physics
Discover the forces behind everything you build
For Grown-Ups π¨π©π§
Teaching tips!
π¨π©π§ Parent Guide
Applied science and engineering is one of the easiest topics to explore at home! Every Episode 3 and 6 material is already in your house β no trip to the store needed.
For Episode 3, you need one balloon, fishing line, tape, and a straw. For Episode 6, you need 7 craft sticks, rubber bands, and a plastic spoon. Start with Episode 3 (the balloon rocket) because it demonstrates the core physics concept in under 5 minutes, then build to Episode 6 for the full engineering design experience.
Ask: "What would happen if we used a bigger balloon?" and "How could we make it launch farther?" β these questions turn experiments into engineering challenges.
π«Teacher Resources
Engineering design aligns directly to NGSS K-2-ETS1-3 (Analyze data from tests to determine if a design solution works as intended). Episode 3 (Balloon Rocket) covers NGSS K-PS2-1 (forces and motion).
Episode 6 (Catapult) is the most complete engineering design activity in Season 1: students build, test, record data, identify a failure point, redesign, and test again. This full cycle is rare to achieve in a single classroom session.
Printables: Rocket Race Score Sheet (Ep 3, free) and Catapult Blueprint + Score Sheet (Ep 6, free) serve as built-in data collection and formative assessment tools.
π Homeschool Guide
Episodes 3 and 6 together form a complete 2-session introductory engineering unit.
Week 1: Balloon Rocket Races (Episode 3) β covers forces, motion, and basic engineering.
Week 2: Marshmallow Catapult (Episode 6) β covers energy, lever mechanics, and the full design-test-redesign cycle. Connect to math by measuring and graphing launch distances.
Connect to ELA by having students write an "engineering notebook" entry after each session. Both episodes use only household materials and produce dramatic visible results that make engineering feel real and exciting.
More Topics to Explore π
Keep discovering!
β‘
Physics
Forces, energy, and movement!
π¦οΈ
Meteorology
Rain, snow, clouds, and storms!
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Geology
Rocks, mountains, and Earth!
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