Sightseer’s Guide to Engineering
Posted on July 19th, 2012 by Mary Lord
Do your summer plans include a road trip? You’ll spot lots of cool engineering sights along the way – if you know where to look. Which you will if you consult A Sightseer’s Guide to Engineering before setting off. Created by the National Society of Professional Engineers and National Engineers Week, the site offers a sampling of iconic structures, fun activities, historic sites and other engineering-related landmarks.
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Tags: car, engineering icons, engineering road trip, Hoover Dam, sightseers guide, summer
Uncle Sam wants you – if you’re the best and brightest – for a new STEM Master Teacher Corps. The Obama administration’s ambitious $1 billion plan to boost student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics seeks to create an elite cadre of exceptional STEM educators who can serve as curriculum innovators, classroom mentors, and instructional leaders in their schools and communities. 
In this lesson, students in grades 3 to 12 explore how engineers incorporate the latest materials and manufacturing techniques to improve the performance of sports equipment by constructing a functional racquet out of everyday materials that can volley against another team’s racquet at least six times.
From safety gear and split-second timekeepers to systems that improve training or healing, the impact of engineering on sports is pervasive. As Team USA heads to London in July, the National Science Foundation has partnered with the educational and Olympics divisions of NBC News to create videos highlighting the engineering that helps the world’s top athletes go for glory. 
From art to aerospace, computer science plays a vital role in virtually every field and innovation. Yet few U.S. students pursue computer science or engineering degrees. The Computer Science Student Network (CS2N), a collaborative research project between Carnegie Mellon University and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), aims to change that with a site full of engaging activities, competitions, step-by-step programming lessons, animation software, and free courses for teachers.
What does quality STEM teaching and learning look like? Where can teachers find resources? STEMx, a just-launched collaboration of 13 state STEM education networks developed by Battelle, offers a way for everyone from educators to policymakers to parents to share proven STEM techniques and tools.
