Airplanes: Designing for Stealth

Explore this NOVA interactive activity to see how engineers have modified a military plane's sound, shape, and heat emissions to minimize detection.

Anatomy of a Firework

There's more to a fireworks display than meets the eye. This interactive activity from the NOVA Web site looks at the technology behind each burst of light.

Anatomy of a Rover

In this interactive activity from NOVA, learn about the sophisticated scientific instruments on two identical robotic rovers that have explored Mars — Spirit and Opportunity.

Bandwidth and Data Conversion

This interactive activity adapted from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center describes the factors that affect the speed of data transfer in computer networking systems and some of the techniques used to increase the data capacity of these systems.

The Bridge Challenge

In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, use your knowledge of bridge design to match the right bridge to the right location in a fictitious city.

Build a Bridge

Survey potential bridge sites, research bridge design, and select the right bridge for the right location in this interactive activity from the NOVA Web site.

Cancer Nanotech

This interactive slideshow adapted from NOVA scienceNOW shows some of the nanoscale structures that scientists are using in the experimental diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer.

Careers in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies

This interactive activity produced for Teachers’ Domain explores various career paths available in advanced manufacturing technologies.

Careers in Agricultural and Environmental Technologies

This interactive activity produced for Teachers’ Domain explores several career paths available in agricultural and environmental technologies.

Careers in Engineering Technologies

This interactive activity produced for Teachers’ Domain explores various career paths in engineering technologies.

Careers in Information and Security Technologies

This interactive activity produced for Teachers’ Domain explores different career paths available in information and security technologies.

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Learn about the Chandra X-Ray Observatory's telescope system, science instruments, and spacecraft system in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

Closed-Loop Systems

This interactive activity adapted from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center explores the processes, controls, and components that make up a typical closed-loop system used in automated manufacturing.

Computer Networks

This interactive activity adapted from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center describes types of computer networks and how they function.

Construct an Aqueduct

Think like an engineer and build an aqueduct in this interactive activity from the NOVA Web site.

The Dam Challenge

In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, investigate dams in distress and decide if they should be repaired, removed, or left alone.

De-Twinkling the Stars

Find out why stars twinkle and adjust a telescope to sharpen a star's image in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

Design a Liquid Fuel Rocket Engine

Learn about rocket engines, and then design and launch a liquid fuel rocket in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

Design an Ion Engine

Learn about ions and then design an ion engine to maximize thrust in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

Design: Building a House

This collection of images follows the process of building a house from cutting the trees and making the bricks to finishing construction.

The Design Process

This video resource, excerpted from DESIGN SQUAD, illustrates each step of the engineering design process.

Accessibility features: Caption

The Dome Challenge

In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, think like an engineer and use your knowledge of dome design to match the right type of dome to the right location in a fictitious city.

Elements of Steel

This resource from the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Web site, which contains both an interactive activity and illustrated text, looks at the composition of different types of steel and their impact on technology.

Engineering Career Options

It's a profession that can take you from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space, from within the microscopic structures of the human cell to the top of the tallest skyscrapers. In this stills collage adapted from The American Society for Engineering Education, learn about some of the most popular engineering fields.

Environmental Hazards on the Farm

This interactive activity adapted from the National Library of Medicine identifies health hazards found on farms.

Environmental Hazards at the Coast

This interactive activity adapted from the National Library of Medicine identifies environmental health hazards in coastal areas.

Environmental Hazards in the City

This interactive activity adapted from the National Library of Medicine identifies environmental health hazards in a typical urban or suburban community.

Forces Lab

In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, select one of the actions of squeezing, stretching, bending, sliding, or twisting to explore the forces of compression, tension, shear, and torsion.

Forgotten Inventors

This illustrated feature from the American Experience Web site highlights the frequently forgotten inventors of several useful, innovative technologies.

Generating Electrical Voltage

This interactive resource adapted from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center illustrates how electrical voltage is generated through a process called magnetic induction and describes some of the factors that affect the magnitude of the voltage produced.

Generation of Alternating Current

This interactive resource adapted from the Wisconsin Online Resource Center illustrates the parts of an electrical generator and shows how they function to produce alternating current.

Getting Airborne and Wing Design

What makes an airplane fly? Discover the connection between Newton's third law of motion and flight in this interactive activity from the NOVA Web site.

GPS: Where in the World Are You?

This interactive activity produced for Teachers' Domain illustrates the concepts and technologies that enable the Global Positioning System (GPS) to identify a person's location within a range of a few meters.

Green Technology: Sustaining the Earth

This interactive activity produced for Teachers' Domain explores areas of research and innovation in green technology.

How to Build A Road

Geology and weather introduced a variety of unexpected problems when construction crews were building the Alaska Highway. In this interactive activity from the American Experience Web site, see how Army engineers improvised solutions to blaze a trail through the wilderness.

Igloo 101

Learn what it takes to build an igloo—from the best kind of snow to the most effective tools—and other little-known facts about these traditional Canadian Inuit structures in this interactive activity from NOVA.

Inside a Solar Cell

This interactive activity adapted from NOVA Online features animations that illustrate the components of a typical photovoltaic cell and how it converts solar energy into electricity.

James Webb vs Hubble

Compare two space telescopes—the Hubble Space Telescope and its planned successor, the James Webb Space Telescope —in this interactive activity from NASA.

Lift and Drag

In this interactive activity from NOVA, learn about the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag and how critical they are to the operation of all sorts of devices.

Loads Lab

This interactive activity from the Building Big Web site examines different types of loads and how structures might be reinforced to withstand them.

Mars Dead or Alive: Mars Up Close

NASA scientist Steve Squyres narrates this visual tour from NOVA Online of the most revealing discoveries made by the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars.

Meet Curiosity, a Mars Rover

Learn about the sophisticated scientific instruments on Curiosity, the latest Mars rover, in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

The Michelson Interferometer

Learn about an important physics experiment that uses an invention that manipulates light in this interactive activity adapted from NASA.

Name That Shell

The way a firework shell is designed and assembled determines the shape and color of a firework display. Choose a video clip and try to identify each firework variety in this interactive activity from the NOVA Web site.

NASA Aeronautics Research Onboard

In this interactive activity from NASA, learn some of the ways in which NASA's research has improved the safety, efficiency, and performance of aviation aircraft—from cockpit designs to the grooves on the runway.

New Ways to Catch Rays

This interactive resource adapted from NOVA Online explores eight of the latest technological developments designed to harness the energy of the Sun.

Off the Grid

This interactive activity produced for Teachers' Domain presents users with three hypothetical scenarios in which they are challenged to design a wind power system that will meet their electrical needs.

Physics of Arches

In this interactive activity from NOVA, try your hand at constructing a stone arch and learn about the physics that affect the arch.

Pilotless Flight: Timeline of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Explore this NOVA interactive timeline and discover the many technological innovations in the history of unmanned flight, from hot-air balloons to miniature flying robots.

Pneumatic Actuator Systems

This interactive activity adapted from MATEC highlights the key components of a typical pneumatic actuator system and shows how they work together to drive an automated process.