H.S. Engineering Pilot Course
A five-year effort spearheaded by ASEE’s engineering deans to create a nationally recognized precollege engineering course just got a major boost from the National Science Foundation. The three-year, $4 million pilot is expected to involve 1,400 students in 40 U.S. high schools and includes teacher professional development.
Filed under: Grades 9-12, K-12 Education News | Comments Off on H.S. Engineering Pilot Course
Tags: Advanced Placement, American Society for Engineering Education Prism magazine, Curriculum, design thinking, Education Policy, Engineering, Engineering Design, Grades 9-12, high school engineering course, National Science Foundation, Professional Development, STEM education, University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering
Middle school students learn about mineral properties and calculate the costs, benefits, and densities in this engineering-driven earth science unit based on the real-world design challenge of salvaging cargo following a train derailment. Students also will strengthen communication skills by creating a presentation to explain their process and justify their decisions to a “client.” 
Students in grades 3 to 5 work in groups to design a structure that will withstand and protect people from tornadoes. Each group then creates a poster with the name of their engineering firm and a picture of their structure. Finally, each group presents their posters to the class.
