Happy National Engineering Week from Seed and Stem Learning Center!
Founded by NSPE in 1951, National Engineering Week is "dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers" -NSPE
DiscoverE's theme this year is for National Engineering Week is Reimagining the Possible. At Seed and Stem Learning Center, we are dedicated to incorporating Engineering principles into our curriculum in order to promote and instill problem-solving skills into our students.
The Next Generation Science Standards include engineering crosscutting concepts which are recommended to be incorporated into all science curricula. The middle school engineering crosscutting concepts include:
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
At Seed and Stem Learning Center, we incorporate these standards into all of our science units across grades 3-12. This is done in a variety of ways including problem-solving challenges, analyzing data, planning, creating, and improving models, and challenging ideas.
Although we do teach engineering design units, we believe that incorporating these standards into all life, physical, and earth science classes will allow students to make important connections as to why engineering design can be used in a variety of situations, careers, and fields.
How can you incorporate the engineering crosscutting concepts into your curriculum?
Utilizing the engineering design process is a great way to instill problem-solving skills across all subjects. Allow students to follow the process below individually or in small groups. It is important to allow them to make mistakes and improve their design as this process should be ongoing until students are satisfied with their solutions.
You can use the free Engineering Design Process document below for your student(s) to record each step as they go. Make sure to provide more than one copy so that they can continue to improve their design!
*DiscoverE works to provide every student with a shared STEM experience and the resources, programs, and connections to improve the understanding of engineering through a united voice and a global distribution network. https://discovere.org/