East Islip Middle School seventh graders in Pamela Avella’s technology classes recently combined creativity and engineering know-how to design, build and test their own “hovercraft” vehicles. Constructed from cardstock and assembled with glue, each vehicle was carefully balanced with pennies for added weight and stability. Students learned key concepts of design, aerodynamics, friction and measurement throughout the project, applying classroom lessons in a engaging way. The hovercrafts were launched down the school’s hallway using rubber bands, with the goal of traveling the greatest distance possible. Students recorded measurements and data after three trial runs, making design adjustments between rounds to improve their creations.