Elementary Engineering Curricula & Resources

The Works - The Works can enhance your curriculum with a variety of hands-on experiences. Find out how things work in this hands-on, minds-on museum as you explore optics and images, simple machines, structures, animation and more. The Works' unique exhibits and hands-on workshops fulfill Minnesota state science and mathematics standards and also create successful, memorable, hands-on learning experiences for your students.

ASEE: American Society for Engineering Education. Useful curriculum ideas and terrific links. Great pamphlet called “Engineering: Go for It.” http://egfi-k12.org/

Design and Discovery is a comprehensive inquiry-based curriculum, which introduces students ages 11-15 to engineering through design. In 18 sequential sessions, students follow the design process, from identifying a design opportunity to developing a working prototype. Free to download from Intel. http://educate.intel.com/en/DesignDiscovery/

Design Squad: This TV program produced by WGBH Boston features eight diverse high school students who tackle a series of intriguing and sometimes wacky design challenges for real clients in a fast-paced team environment. Not showing on TV in Minnesota, but you can download the episodes and excellent activity and educator guides from their website: http://pbskids.org/designsquad/

Also check out the elementary engineering activities on other PBS shows:

Zoom: http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/

Dragonfly TV: http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/technologyinvention.html

Building Big: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/

Engineering Education Service Center stocks books, supplies, movies & resources for teaching about engineering. www.engineeringedu.com

Engineering is Elementary (EiE): The Museum of Science in Boston is creating this research-based, standards-based, and classroom-tested curriculum that integrates engineering and technology concepts and skills with elementary science, social science and language topics. www.mos.org/eie

Future Scientists and Engineers of America (FSEA): Excellent elementary engineering kits that can be bought individually, or in quantity for after school programs. www.discoverycube.org/fsea.aspx?q=47

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) is the professional organization for technology, innovation, design, and engineering educators. Published “Standards for Technological Literacy,” the inspiration for many engineering standards nationally. Great links and resources include e-newsletters, films, publications and an elementary curriculum called I³: Invention, Innovation and Inquiry. www.iteea.org

Pitsco: A catalog packed with engineering kits and materials. www.pitsco.com

Project Lead the Way: Comprehensive engineering curriculum for secondary schools, with new elementary lessons. www.pltw.org

Schoolyards to Skylines: Architecture lessons integrated with elementary subjects. www.architecture.org/aboutschoolyards.html

The Science Source: A favorite source of materials and books for hands-on engineering. Their catalog has a particularly good section of elementary engineering books from England. http://thesciencesource.com

Stuff That Works: Elementary engineering curriculum developed by the City College of New York. Download projects online or purchase curriculum books and resources. http://citytechnology.ccny.cuny.edu/Design_Tech.html

TeachEngineering.com is a searchable, digital library with standards-based curricula to teach engineering in K-12 settings. www.teachengineering.org Also see this related site: www.engineeringpathway.com/ep/index.jhtml

A World In Motion: Engineering challenges for elementary students. Curriculum and materials free from Society for Automotive Engineers. www.sae.org/exdomains/awim/aboutus