Technologys Child

Have you ever wanted to discover a roller coaster that is bigger or faster or scarier than any one you’ve ridden before? Follow the design activity to engineer your own, new roller coaster! Learn how different engineering elements make an exciting ride!

Have you ever flown a drone before? They can be fun but are often hard to navigate by the operator. Scientists are hoping to discover ways to improve how drones see by using dragonflies! What about the anatomy of an insects’ eye will prove helpful?

Have you ever wondered how buildings are created? Architects have to use lots of different shapes in order to build a structure. Many geometric shapes are needed to create building designs. Can you find the different shapes in historical landmarks from all over the world?

Click and his friends wish to live in their favorite tree like the friendly squirrels. They decide to build a treehouse—but first they must collect the necessary materials and learn what tools they'll need for the job! They find a hammer, saw, level and measuring tape. What safety tools with they need to build their treehouse?

What would we do without wheels? We use wheels for all kinds of things, including transportation. Learn about alternatives for transportation other than the wheel! Do you use any of these different ways of moving around?

Have you ever seen a bird nest? Birds make all kinds of different nests! Nests are made from lots of different kinds of materials and are shaped differently. Learn about the different kinds of nests that are made by different species of birds!

Have you ever wondered how big cities are created? Learn how small towns start with just a few houses and farms, and then grow into large cities with many roads, buses, and skyscrapers! See how cities grow and change throughout history by the growing population of people living, working and shopping among each other.

Eyes are organs that allow you to see the world! Learn about the anatomy of the eye and how it works to allow you to see. Discover how your vision is created through connections between your eye and brain. You won’t believe your eyes when you see a 3D movie! Special 3D glasses help your brain view a mixture of two different camera angles and colors from each lens. Have you ever seen a 3D movie?

Yo wants to know why the road is being dug up—he sees a lot of machines and empty pipes! With the help of the construction workers, he learns how workers build and repair the water pipeline under the streets and roads where Yo travels—to carry water to all the homes and buildings that need it!

Bridges are engineering marvels! It takes a civil engineer, chief engineer, structural engineer and environmental engineer to build a bridge. There are different kinds that each require a special construction process to build. Learn how different bridges such as beam, suspension and arch bridge types are designed and built, as well as the construction workers needed at specific stages.

Did you know if you break a bone, the bone can repair itself? You'll need to visit the doctor to have your broken bone set in a cast, while your body is hard at work repairing the injury! The moment you fall, blood from your injury sends signals to cells to start building new bone–the process of repairing is on its way! Do you know what your body makes to create new bone?

Imagine taking a flight to the stars! Yo pretends to take a rocket into the sky to visit the stars–only he wonders if he will see the stars. Yo doesn’t want to crash into them if he can’t see them!

Yo says his toy animal, polar bear, wants to know why the polar regions stay cold! Yo’s father shows him a globe of the earth! Did you know the sun doesn’t shine on the North and South Poles strong enough to keep it warm? Yo learns that because the earth is tilted, sunlight shines brightly in the middle of the earth, and dimly on the Poles. What will Yo learn when he sees a flashlight?

Animals get their energy from the food they eat. Animals depend on other living things for food. Some animals, called herbivores, eat plants; while others are carnivores that eat other animals. Scavengers, like vultures and hyenas, eat dead animals. Learn how different animals eat and how this determines how they look and where they live. Can you name other animals that are scavengers?

Have you ever wondered how a penny or dime is made? Coins are made from metal in factories called mints. First, an artist draws a picture of the coin, next clay is used to make a mold made from plastic. Then a machine engraves and designs a piece of metal–these metal pieces will be used to make stamps called dies. In the United States, there are only four factories–can you guess where?

Help tell the story of Benjamin Franklin's discovery of electricity! Together with your friend, act out this play to learn how Benjamin Franklin used a wire, attached to the top of a kite, to attract lightning from the sky. Lightning is a form of electricity! It travelled down the kite string to the key that created electric sparks! How did Franklin come up with the idea for his famous experiment?

Of all the historic spacecraft vehicles displayed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York–one remains special! On the Moon, it gave shelter to the astronauts. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar Module–also used as a communications center–the LM-13 was built to transport people from earth to outer space! Learn what else makes this aeronautical spacecraft special!

Have you ever had an electrical power outage at home? In 2003, the largest blackout in United States history left millions of people without power for days! Learn how power generation plants are connected to the power grid that distributes electricity to regions of the country and to homes. What causes power outages? How does losing power affect daily life? What can people do to conserve energy?

Do you know how the anatomy of the eye allows us to see colors? Learn about the part of the eye called cones. Cones are like sensors that detect colors. The more cones a person or animal has, the more colors the eye perceives. Can you guess if your pets see you in full color, or if you see your pets in full colors?

Animals survive in the wild against predators. Many animals, like the salamander, can regenerate limbs–arms, tails, toes, and hearts! Can you guess how long it takes the salamander to grow a new limb? Learn about other animals like the octopus with this same protection. Not all animals have cells that can regenerate limbs for their survival. What do you do if you find an injured animal?