ThinkForge™ Desktop Engineering Challenges are low-prep, classroom-ready engineering design challenges that engage students in hands-on problem solving using common materials and minimal space. Each challenge guides students through the engineering design process as they analyze a real-world problem, design and build a solution, test and redesign, and communicate results. Perfect for STEM, science, and physics classrooms (grades 6–12), these desktop-friendly challenges build critical thinking, collaboration, and perseverance while allowing teachers to focus on facilitation—not setup. Challenges are designed for one class period and require minimal prep and use common materials.

Volume 2 immerses students in authentic structural engineering thinking through five classroom-tested, one-period design challenges. Using only common classroom materials, students design, build, test, fail, and redesign structures while learning how forces move through beams, bridges, towers, and cantilevered systems - just like real engineers.

Volume 2 is intentionally sequenced to guide students from basic structural elements to complex, real-world engineering systems. Each challenge introduces a new structural concept while reinforcing ideas from the previous challenge, helping students build understanding rather than jump between disconnected activities.

Challenges naturally support NGSS engineering practices and physics concepts such as forces, stability, and energy transfer.

Prep Time: Minimal - materials are common classroom items and instructional items are included with each challenge.

What’s Included in Volume 2

This resource includes five classroom-ready structural engineering challenges (Challenge Document and Presentation); each designed to be completed in a single class period:

1. Paper Beam Strength Challenge™
   Students explore how geometry and material placement affect beam strength, bending and failure.
2. Tabletop Bridge Load Challenge™
   Students design bridge systems that efficiently distribute loads across supports.
3. Cantilever Arm Challenge™
   Teams design overhanging structures and investigate moments, leverage, and load distance.
4. Tower Stability Challenge™
   Learners focus on balance, center of mass, and structural stability under increasing loads.
5. Earthquake-Resistant Structure Challenge™
   A capstone challenge where students design structures to withstand dynamic, lateral forces.

Instructional Design

Each challenge follows a consistent, teacher-friendly format that includes:

• A clear problem and design statement
• Materials lists using inexpensive, everyday items
• Well-defined criteria and constraints
• Teacher discussion points and facilitation tips
• Structural vocabulary lists
• Testing and failure analysis prompts
• Physics and engineering concepts addressed
• Conclusion and reflection questions
• Extension options for differentiation

Why Teachers Love ThinkForge™ Challenges

• One class period per challenge
• No lab or special equipment required
• Highly engaging, hands-on learning
• Built-in opportunities for collaboration and discussion
• Easy to drop into physics, engineering, or STEM courses
• Designed by a classroom teacher and tested with real students

Perfect For

• High school physics or engineering courses
• Middle school STEM and engineering
• Project-based learning environments
• Engineering clubs and enrichment programs
• Sub plans, flex days, or mini-units

How This Volume Fits the ThinkForge™ System

Teachers can use Volume 2 independently or as part of a larger ThinkForge™ progression. Volume 2 deepens student understanding of forces and structures and prepares them for future ThinkForge™ volumes focused on motion, mechanisms, energy and power, and materials and failure. Each volume stands alone but is designed to work together as part of a cohesive engineering progression.

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Thank You!

Thank you for choosing ThinkForge™ Desktop Engineering Challenges - Volume 2. Your support helps bring authentic, hands-on engineering experiences into classrooms and empowers students to think critically, collaborate effectively, and approach problems like real engineers. We hope these challenges spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence in your students - and make your classroom a place where engineering comes alive.

Hands-on engineering. No lab required.
Build confident problem-solvers - one challenge at a time.