An engineer from Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey just told me about the website Design Squad Nation! Engineers are the people who design buildings, toys, roads, electronic devices, cars, etc. Engineers figure out the best materials to use and how to turn them into the things we use every day.

The Design Squad Nation website is an online community that grew out of the Design Squad television series that aired on PBS KIDS. The site targets kids ages 8 and older and features creative activities, engaging video, interactive games, and exciting contests.

Students: Consider how to make the weak material, paper, into a table that can support a load. Experiment and notice how changing a material’s shape affects it’s strength. Ask a friend to review your prototype. Improve your design by following the design process: revise, test, and improve! Take a picture of your design and send it to me, peyer@socsd.org.
Have Fun!

Parents: Design Squad Nation offers many examples that contextualize engineering concepts and spurs kids to explore those concepts! This is the perfect website to visit with your child to get then thinking like an engineer!

 Teachers: Want to use Design Squad Nation content in your classroom, at a museum or in an informal setting? Check out the Resources section for a library of downloadable guides, activities and videos.