K-12 Outreach Menu
Wow! That's Engineering!
On Saturday, July 30th, 2011, SWE-Boston hosted its fourth "Wow! That's Engineering!" event at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA.
The event was a day-long event for girls in 6th - 8th grade, providing the girls the opportunity to experience the creativity and innovation of engineering and technology with fun hands-on activities. The event was designed to "WOW" girls by what they can accomplish! Workshops included:
- Take Apart Zone (Reverse Engineering) - Ever wonder what is inside electronic appliances? Take an (unplugged!) appliance apart to find out how it works. Grab a screwdriver and explore!
- Invisible Forces (Electrical Engineering) - For hundreds of years we have been fascinated by the mysterious behavior of magnets, compasses, and electricity. Study these behaviors and 'see' the invisible forces at work. You’ll even build your own electric motor.
- Airplanes (Aerospace Engineering) - Since the beginning of time, man has looked to the sky and dreamt of flying. Build your own model airplane. Assemble wings and fins and stabilizers. Then use your rubber band powered plane to experiment with the effects of ailerons, elevators and rudders on the movement of the plane through the air.
- Kalimba (Thumb Piano) (Electrical Engineering) - Explore the fundamentals of sound through the vibration of metal and wood. Build your own thumb piano and discover the concepts of vibration, frequency and pitch. Sheet music is provided so that you can then master your new musical instrument.
- Lip Balm Chemistry (Chemical/Materials Engineering) - Concepts such as density of different ingredients, a solution vs. a mixture, measuring skills, and melting points of different substances is essential for developing quality products. Customize your own flavored lip balm and determine what affects the consistency.