“Engineering is all around us, so it’s often taken for granted,” Bill Wulf, the former president of the National Academy of Engineering once noted.

Many children may not even know enough about engineering to realize – never mind ignore the fact – that everything from the delivery of consumer goods to roads, cars, planes, the Internet, skyscrapers, microwave ovens, and sports gear is the work of engineers.

To help close that knowledge gap and inspire more students to see themselves as engineers, TeachEngineering – the digital library curated by the Integrated Teaching and Learning program at the University of Colorado, Boulder’s College of Engineering – has added new segments to its digital library of teacher-tested, authentic K-12 engineering curriculum. A short, kid-friendly video entitled”What Is Engineering?” introduces a career-focused collection of curriculum and activities that align with concepts and knowledge various professional engineers would use on the job,  from aerospace to software engineering.

In addition, the collection now features a guide to integrating hands-on, standards-based engineering activities into middle school, high school, and advanced physics and math classes. The activities are aligned with physics and math standards, allowing teachers to readily introduce engineering without having to rewrite pacing guides or abandon the textbook.

Filed under: For Teachers, K-12 Outreach Programs, Lesson Plans, Special Features

Tags: career awareness, Curriculum, Engineering, integrated STEM, Internet Resources, Mathematics, Physics, STEM education, TeachEngineerig, Videos, Web Resources