Engineering Lessons

This video explains what engineers do and what problems they have solved!

What is an Engineer?

Simply put, an engineer is someone who comes up with solutions to problems. You have to be an inquirer and be able to show perseverance. A good engineer knows that most problems aren't solved on the first try! Three questions that good Engineers should always be answering are:

1. WHAT is the problem that needs to be solved?

2. WHO has the problem that needs to be solved?

3. WHY is this problem important to solve?

Fair Testing

What is a Fair Test?

Check out these slides to explain to your students what a fair test is!


Engineering Challenge

Engineering Challenge

The slides in this presentation will lead your group through several engineering challenges. These challenges are best completed after students have explored engineering and learned about fair testing. Students should be in groups of 3-5 and should stay with the same group for each challenge.

Time: 4 1-hour sessions (including What is an Engineer? and Fair Testing Presentation)

Additional Materials: Listed below for each challenge.

Engineering Challenge Materials

Challenge One:

  • Materials: 1 deck of cards for each group
  • Time: 20 minutes including introduction and cleanup

Challenge Two

  • Materials: 1 box of toothpicks and one bag of mini marshmallows per group
  • Time: 20-25 minutes including introduction and cleanup

Challenge Three

  • Materials: 6 solo cups and one rubber band tool for each group
    • The rubber band tool needs to be assembled ahead of time taking one rubber band and tying four 2-foot pieces of string evenly spaced around the rubber band
  • Time: 20 minutes

Challenge Four

  • Materials: 1 egg for each team, assorted recycled materials for students to build with, tape, and glue. (materials can vary, also students can spend the week in between collecting materials at home)
  • Time: 1 hour 30 minutes total, (30 minutes week one to introduce lab and allow students to plan and 1 hour total on week two to build and test)

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

By definition an engineer is someone who solves problems! Since we've identified that the 17 UN SDGs are problems needing to be solved, it is essential for their success that we teach our future generations to be engineers and problem solvers. Without resilient and open-minded engineers the dreams of the United Nations can't be realized!

Sources

crashcoursekids. “What's an Engineer? Crash Course Kids #12.1.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=owHF9iLyxic.