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