Engineering is Elementary

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Engineering is Elementary

• Eric Mann
• Purdue University
• elmann_at_purdue.edu

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Children are born engineers
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Children are born engineers

• They are fascinated with building, and with
  taking things apart to see how they work. By
  encouraging these explorations in elementary
  school, we can keep these interests alive.
  Describing their activities as engineering when
  they are engaged in the natural design process
  can help them develop positive associations with
  engineering, and increase their desire to pursue
  such activities in the future.

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Makes math and science relevant Integrates other
disciplines

• Engineering projects integrate other disciplines.
  Engaging students in hands-on, real-world
  engineering experiences can enliven math and
  science and other content areas and motivate
  students to learn math and science concepts by
  illustrating relevant applications.

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Interdisciplinary

• Science The process of inquiring into the
  attempt to make observations, develop
  explanations for what is observed, and test these
  ideas by making predictions and comparing them to
  what happens in new situations.

Science
Engineering A problem-solving process (called
the Engineering Design Process) that can be
described as Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and
Improve.
Technology
Engineering
Technology Any thing or process that humans
create or use to solve a problem or meet a need.
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Engineering Fosters Problem-Solving Skills

• Problem solving
• Analysis and data-driven decisions
• Variables and optimization
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Communication

conduct experiments, examine scientific data,
etc.
To design or improve a technology.
and test using controlled scientific
experimentation
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Parallels between P-12 Engineering Education and
Gifted Education

• Creativity ? Challenge
• Problem Solving ? Interdisciplinary
• Critical Thinking ? Real-World
  Applications
• Students exchange traditional roles as
  lesson-learners and doers-of-exercises for more
  challenging and demanding roles that require
  hands-on learning, first-hand investigations, and
  the application of knowledge and thinking skills
  to complex problems.

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Why Elementary Engineering?

• Technological literacy is a basic 21st century
  literacy
• But childrens perceptions

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Engineers.Build bridges, buildings, and roads
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Engineers.Fix cars, engines, and machines
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Engineers.Use or fix computers
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Engineers.Drive trains
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Engineering is Elementary (EiE)

• Lessons that integrate engineering and technology
  concepts into elementary science.
• Goal 1. Increase childrens level of
  technological literacy
• Goal 2. Increase elementary teachers
  understanding of technology and engineering and
  their abilities to teach these subjects to their
  students
• Goal 3. Modify the U.S. system of education to
  include engineering at the elementary level.

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Goal 1. Increase children's technological literacy

• Knowledge (Know about)
• What engineering and technology are and what
  engineers do
• Various fields of engineering
• Nearly everything in the human world has been
  touched by engineering
• Engineering problems have multiple solutions
• How society influences and is influenced by
  engineering
• How technology affects the world (both positively
  and negatively)
• Engineers are from all races, ethnicities, and
  genders
• Skills/Experience (Be able to do)
• Apply the engineering design process
• Apply science and math in engineering
• Employ creativity and careful thinking to solve
  problems
• Envision one's own abilities as an engineer
• Troubleshoot and learn from failure
• Understand the central role of materials and
  their properties in engineering solutions

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Engineering is Elementary (EiE)Boston Museum of
Science

• EiE is creating research-based, classroom-tested
  curricular materials that integrate engineering
  and technology concepts and skills with
  elementary science lessons. Each unit integrates
  an elementary school science topic with a
  specific field of engineering.
• EiE curricular materials are used by over 2,000
  teachers and 50,000 students in 39 states.
• EiE students were significantly more likely to
  correctly identify what engineers do and what
  technology is when compared with control students
  (n 5,139 EiE students and n 1,827 control
  students).
• EiE students also showed significant improvements
  on their understanding of EiE unit-specific
  science and engineering concepts. (n 247 EiE
  students)

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Curricular Resources

• Each EiE unit contains
• Storybook
• Lesson
  Plans
• 
  Duplication Masters (2 levels)
• Assessment
  Items
• Background
  Information for
  the Teacher
• Connected to Existing Science Curriculum
• each unit is mapped to units developed by FOSS,
  GEMS, Insights, and STC
• includes a list of the major science concepts
  that are reinforced within each lesson

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Unit Design
Lesson 1 Engineering Story (Literacy
Connections) Lesson 2 A Broader View of an
Engineering Field Lesson 3 Scientific Data
Inform Engineering Design Lesson 4 Engineering
Design Challenge has influenced me in how I
see and understand the connection of engineering
to math and science. I feel that I can
distinguish the roles of these jobs in the real
world much more successfully to my students .
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• Water, Water Everywhere Designing Water Filters
• Science Topic Water and the Water Cycle
• Engineering Field Environmental Engineering
• Country India
• Storybook Saving Salila's Turtle
• This unit addresses the increasingly important
  issue of water quality through lessons that teach
  students about water contamination and the ways
  that people ensure the quality of their drinking
  water.
• Students will first think like environmental
  engineers as they review a mural of a small
  American community, noting possible sources of
  pollution and suggesting ways to clean up or
  eliminate the source of the pollution. Students
  will then focus on the environmental engineering
  problem of providing safe drinking water as they
  plan, construct, test, and improve their own
  water filters.
• FOSS Connection WaterSTC Connection Land and
  WaterGEMS Connections Acid Rain, Involving
  Dissolving, Liquid Explorations, River
  CuttersInsights Connections Liquids, There is
  No Away

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• "When I first started this project and I saw the
  word "engineering", I thought "oh boy- I don't
  know anything about that. How can I teach it to
  my kids?" Now I realize that I was already doing
  so much teaching that included many of those same
  ideas like with our science and math units and
  even social studies." 2nd grade teacher

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• "The stories are easy to follow and include both
  the science and engineering ideas and activities
  that the children are learning about. They are so
  delighted when they find themselves doing the
  same activities that the book character does!"

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Because Dreams Need Doing!

• No profession unleashes the spirit of innovation
  like engineering. From research to real-world
  applications, engineers constantly discover how
  to improve our lives by creating bold new
  solutions that connect science to life in
  unexpected, forward-thinking ways. Few
  professions turn so many ideas into so many
  realities. Few have such a direct and positive
  effect on peoples everyday lives. We are
  counting on engineers and their imaginations to
  help us meet the needs of the 21stcentury.
• Baranowski, M. Delorey, J. (2007) Because
  dreams need doing New messages for enhancing
  public understanding

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Innovations in P-12 sTEm Education

• Aligned with national initiatives focused on STEM
  education, with an emphasis on technology and
  engineering fields.
• Jointly the Colleges of Education, Engineering
  and Technology are
• Conducting research to discover how young
  children learn and engage in sTEm, and how
  employing experiential practices, problem solving
  skills, and design can enhance learning
• Developing in-service and pre-service teacher
  preparation programs in P12 engineering and
  technology
• Developing relevant, authentic, and
  standards-based P12 curriculum around the
  concepts of engineering artifacts, experience,
  and design
• Assessing student learning of engineering and
  technology concepts in the P-12 environment
• http//www.education.purdue.edu/stem/

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• This not a complete list but rather a
  starting point for you to explore options for
  getting your students involved in engineering and
  technology.
• Elementary
• Engineering is Elementary http//www.mos.org/eie/
  
• Invention-Innovation-Inquiry Units for
  Technological Literacy, Grades 5-6
  http//www.iteaconnect.org/i3/index.htm
• Partnerships Implementing Engineering Education
  http//www.wpi.edu/Academics/PIEE/Resources/less
  ons.html
• Middle School
• Gateway to Technologies http//www.pltw.org/curr
  iculum/ms-engineering.html
• Learning by Design http//www.cc.gatech.edu/pro
  jects/lbd/home.html
• More Information/Resources
• American Society for Engineering Education K-12
  Center http//www.engineeringk12.org/
• Engineering Pathways - National Science Digital
  Library http//www.engineeringpathway.com/ep/inde
  x.jhtml
• International Technology Education Association
  http//www.iteaconnect.org/
• Innovations in P-12 sTEm Education
  http//www.education.purdue.edu/stem/
• Teachers Domain-Engineering http//www.teachersdo
  main.org/sci/engin/index.html
• TEACH Engineering K-12 Resource Center National
  Science Digital Library http//www.teachengineerin
  g.org/index.php