Teaching engineering in the classroom helps students improve on their problem solving skills which helps improve mathematics and science skills. This also informs students how everyday objects work and operate.

• 21 types of engineering!

• This is a kid friendly video explaining what engineering is!

Creating a makerspace in the classroom!

• First watch this VIDEO to help explain what a makerspace is!

• A makerspace is, “a space designed and dedicated to hands-on creativity, and the key thing there is they’re actually making something. Creativity is sometimes idea generation, it’s sometimes problem-solving. But a makerspace, you’re actually going to create some kind of product. Now it could be a digital product. It could be a physical product. But there is an actual product.” A makerspace is a powerful tool that should be incorporated into every single school.

Here are several standards that would work with makerspaces!

• One standard I would use a makerspace for is, K-LS1-2(MA). Recognize that all plants and animals grow and change over time. During this lesson, students can use the makerspace to help them create visuals of how an animal changes over time. They can create or design the animals that are supplied at the makerspace. Perhaps, students would create a model of a baby fox and then model an adult fox. Students can discuss how they change and grow overtime. The students could take this project further and create the animals habitat out of the material at the makerspace station.

• Another idea I had for the standard, K-PS3-2. Use tools and materials to design and build a model of a structure that will reduce the warming effect of sunlight on an area. For this lesson, students can use the materials at the makerspace to create a structure on how to reduce warm effects of the sunlight. They could place an ice cube in the middle of their structure and see if it reduces the warming effects. This would take several trial and error but the students will be engaging and creating a maker mindset on how to fix these problems to find the best solutions. Students would really be able to explore the materials to work with.

• My makerspace would include having engaging hands-on materials for the students to work with. These materials would include, play dough, modeling clay, clips, buttons, straws, toilet paper cardboard rolls, pipe cleaners, pom poms, Popsicle sticks, Legos, paper, string/ yawn, tape, egg cartons, coffee cans, yogurt cubs, shoe boxes and anything else that would be hands-on for the students. For digital resources students could use images from the internet, videos to help visualize their ideas, online stories and more. These materials would be important to use because they would give the students endless opportunities to design their visions. They can explore these materials to be creative and take risks during the lessons. They can take these materials apart and put new ones together to help improve their problem solving skills to see what their best solution would be.

• I would include all of my students in these activities in hopes of them creating or developing a makermindest in the classroom. This includes gifted students, special education students, “normal” students, IEP students...overall, every single student in the classroom.

• Watch this video to help you create a makerspace in the classroom!

Look at this presentation to help explain engineering in the world around us to your students or children at home!

Here are some useful tools to use in the classroom...

• Click here for additional engineering APP's!

• 10 additional APP's to use!