Post on 23-Dec-2015
Engineering Design Experiments for
Elementary Classrooms
Presented by Angie McMurryScience Curriculum Coordinator, Darke County ESC
GoalsFor teachers to leave with some
ideas on how to integrate design experiments that align to state content into your elementary classrooms
Opportunity to integrate engaging children’s literature into the inquiry process
K-4 Focus
Integrating Engineering Into Your Classroom
What is engineering anyway?“The discipline dealing with the art or science of
applying scientific knowledge to practical problems”
Allow teachers to adopt engineering concepts from NGSS “An application of science is any use of scientific
knowledge for a specific purpose, whether to do more science; to design a product, process, or medical treatment; to develop a new technology; or to predict the impacts of human actions.”
Integrating Engineering Into Your Classroom
And to adopt concepts from the NOLS cognitive domain of “Technological and Engineering Design”PreK-4:
Identify problems and potential technological/engineering solutions
Understand the design process, role of troubleshooting
Understand the goals of physical, informational and bio-related technologies
Understand how physical technologies impact humans
Literacy Connection to Engineering
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Valuable lessons within engineering “lessons”:It’s ok to failGo back and look at it againPerseverePerspective
Real-world connection!
The Marshmallow Challenge
Earth and Space Science
K-4 Themes: weather, space (the sky), water, air, Earth’s resources, weathering
Earth and Space ScienceKindergarten:
Construct a tool to measure temperature, wind and precipitation
Develop a “shadow” clock or calendarGroundhog shelter (goes along with life science)
1st Grade:Develop a container that will keep food or other
items cool (dog dish keep cool water outside on a hot day)
Earth and Space Science2nd Grade:
Design a tornado-proof buildingConstruct a device to measure the speed and
direction of the windDevelop a model to show that pollution in fog and
steam can enter the waterways
3rd Grade: Implement an investigation to test soil properties to
see where the best crops would growDesign and construct a model for one of the available
energy sources in Ohio. Decide which is most efficient
Earth and Space Science4th Grade:
Build a structure that will withstand weathering and erosion
Design a new resort on a man-made island. How will they protect it from “washing” away?
Literature Connections A Garden For A Groundhog by Lorna Balian
Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin
Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars by Douglas Florian
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Tyler the Fish Saves Lake Erie by Meaghan Fisher
If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty
Star Stuff by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Gravity by Jason Chin
Life ScienceK-4 Themes: living things, physical needs of living things, ecosystems, environmental impacts on living things, life cycles,
genetics, fossil evidence
Life ScienceKindergarten:
Groundhog (or other animal) shelterPlant studiesBiomimicry
1st Grade:“Live like an animal”Design and test the most functional bird feeder
(least amount dropped on the ground and wasted)
Life Science2nd Grade:
Oil spill solutionsComposting and usable soils
3rd Grade:Design a more efficient living environment for a
class petConstruct and test different butterfly emergence
cagesGenetically modified food
Life Science4th Grade:
Plan and design a town that protects the organisms living there
Water tower challengeHarmless holder challenge
Literature ConnectionsBest Foot Forward by Ingo Arndt
Flight of the Honeybee by Raymond Huber
Redwoods by Jason Chin
Island by Jason Chin
Physical ScienceK-4 Themes: properties of objects, sound, change
of objects position, force and motion, matter, energy
Physical ScienceKindergarten:
Engineering for the three little pigsConcrete for kidsDesign a musical instrument out of an edible
object such as a vegetablePlan and construct a sound proof room for play
1st Grade:Boat buildingDesign a toy out of recycled materialsBobsled challenge
Physical Science2nd Grade:
Radioactive golf ballsLife vest challengeRoller coaster designRubber band racersSafety gear and helmets…egg drop!Robot basketball or Pop fly
3rd Grade:Develop ideas how to clean up oil spills in different
climatic zonesUse energy to complete a simple task
Physical Science4th Grade:
Design a more efficient waste disposal mechanismDesign and construct a device that causes a small
cart to roll and involves energy transfer between four objects (mouse trap)
Insulated house
Literature ConnectionsHoop Genius by John Coy
Rosie Revere Engineer by Andrea Beaty
The Wright Brothers for Kids by Mary Kay Carson
Website ResourceseGFI http://www.egfi-k12.org/
Try Engineering http://tryengineering.org/
NBC Learn http://www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/learn
Project Wild from ODNR
For Cost Resources:
Carolina
Engineering is elementary http://www.eie.org/
Inspiration To Leave You With…
What Do You Do With An Idea?
By Kobi Yamada