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Bringing Engineering into Middle Schools: Learning Science and Math through Guided Inquiry and Engineering Design

Bringing Engineering into Middle Schools: Learning Science and Math through Guided Inquiry and Engineering Design. Larry G. Richards Christine Guy Schnittka University of Virginia ASEE K -12 Workshop Chicago, Illinois June 16, 2006. Introductions. Who are you? Name From where?

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Bringing Engineering into Middle Schools: Learning Science and Math through Guided Inquiry and Engineering Design

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  1. Bringing Engineering into Middle Schools: Learning Science and Math through Guided Inquiry and Engineering Design Larry G. Richards Christine Guy Schnittka University of Virginia ASEE K -12 Workshop Chicago, Illinois June 16, 2006

  2. Introductions • Who are you? • Name • From where? • Subjects taught • Teaching for how long? • Who are we?

  3. To begin A few questions

  4. Name some famous scientists

  5. Name some famous engineers

  6. Do you know? • Dean Kamen • Burt Rutan • Ray Kurtzweil • Carver Mead • Bill Gates • Alan Kay • Dave Kelley (IDEO)

  7. Some major engineering achievements • 20. High performance materials • 19. Nuclear technologies • 18. Laser and fiber optics • 17. Petroleum and petrochemical technologies • 16. Health technologies

  8. Some major engineering achievements • 15. Household appliances • 14. Imaging • 13. Internet • 12. Spacecraft • 11. Highways

  9. Some major engineering achievements • 10. Air conditioning and Refrigeration • 9. Telephone • 8. Computers • 7. Agricultural Mechanization • 6. Radio and Television

  10. Some major engineering achievements • 5. Electronics • 4. Water supply and distribution • 3. Airplane • 2. Automobile • 1. Electrification

  11. What do scientists do?

  12. What do engineers do?

  13. What is engineering? • What do engineers do? • Engineers design and build things. • Engineers create technology. • Engineering is different from Science.

  14. Herb Simon • Science is the study of what is. • Engineering is the creation of what is to be.

  15. Science Discovery Understanding Knowledge Natural world “The world as we found it” Engineering Design Creating/producing Technology Artificial world The world we create Engineering is different from science.

  16. Design • The man-made world • The creation of artifacts • Adapting the environment to our needs and desires • Concern of engineers, architects, and artists

  17. Design as problem solving • Given • Problem specification • Initial conditions • Constraints • Standards/regulations • Find a Solution

  18. Design is creative • Design problems • Open-ended • Ill-defined (vague) • Multiple alternatives • Generate lots of solutions

  19. Design is Experimental and Iterative • Getting it right takes many tries • The first cut is rarely good enough • Some designs fail • Even if satisfactory, most designs can be improved • Once it works, refine it

  20. Design cycle • Requirements, problem • Generate ideas • Initial concept • Rough design • Prototype • Detailed design • Redesign

  21. Design • The core problem solving process of technological development • “It is as fundamental to technology as inquiry is to science or reading is to language arts”

  22. Serious Problems in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education • Declining enrollments in engineering programs • Numbers of women and minority students in engineering are not representative of general population • Lower science and math test scores of US high school students with respect to the rest of the industrial world • Technological illiteracy

  23. What does it take to become an engineer? • Math • Science • Creativity

  24. VMSEEI • The Virginia Middle Schools Engineering Education Initiative (VMSEEI) will design, implement, test and evaluate“engineering teaching kits” to be used by teachers and student teachers to facilitate engineering instruction in middle schools.

  25. Engineering Teaching Kits • The engineering teaching kits (ETKs) will allow teachers to instruct students on selected engineering concepts and procedures within the context of preexisting science and mathematics classes

  26. Engineering Teaching Kits • ETKs will include a strong focus on design and innovation, how things work, how things are made, and the social and environmental impacts of technology. • The ETKs will involve active, hands-on, cooperative learning; students will work in teams to solve problems and design solutions.

  27. Each ETK will include • A student guide explaining key concepts and methods • A teacher’s guide • Plans for demonstrations and experiments • Where appropriate a computer-based component (such as a demonstration or simulation).

  28. Some concerns • Meeting state and national standards (VA SOLs, Massachusetts, NCES, Benchmarks, ITEA) • Making ETKs Female Friendly • Incorporating ethical, environmental, aesthetic, cultural and social issues • Conveying the excitement and importance of engineering

  29. Our current team • Larry G. Richards: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering • Chris Schnittka: Curry School PhD Candidate • Randy Bell: Curry School of Education • Students • Engineering • Education • Teachers from schools in Central Virginia

  30. New senior design course: • Creativity and New Product Development • Focused on the design, implementation, and testing of ETKs • Multidisciplinary teams • Fifth offering: 2006-2007

  31. Designing experiences for students • Conceptually structured • Evidence-based • Materials-centered • Project-based • Inquiry-oriented

  32. Under Pressure

  33. The Pressure Begins… • Assemble tank • Gather materials • Revise and finalize lesson plans • Test all activities • Teacher meetings

  34. The Tank…

  35. Materials…

  36. Lesson Plans and Worksheets • Day 1: Density • Day 2: Buoyant Force, Drag, Propulsion • Day 3: Preliminary Vehicle Design and Construction • Day 4: Testing and Revision of Vehicle Designs • Day 5: Final Testing Day

  37. Teacher Meeting • Met with Arlene Terrell, Karen Power, and Bill Sterrett • Went over supplies needed, lesson plans, logistics

  38. The Pressure Mounts… Day 1: Density • Coke vs. Diet Coke intro • Finding Mass and Volume • Why do things float? • Density Graph

  39. The Pressure Continues… Day 2: Buoyant Force, Drag, Propulsion • Forces acting on an object moving through water • Three stations, one for each concept

  40. Buoyant Force • Illustrated apparent loss of weight when an object is submerged • A force pushes up on an object when submerged • Neutral Buoyancy

  41. Drag • Illustrated orientation of an object in a fluid effects force on object, i.e. drag • Students timed objects moving through honey

  42. Propulsion • Reviewed Newton’s Laws emphasizing the third law • Conducted balloon demo

  43. Applied Pressure… Day 3 & 4: Design and Construction of Underwater Vehicle • Introduce engineering design process and problem statement • Calculate mass and volume necessary to make submersible neutrally buoyant • Start building!

  44. The Pressure Peaks… Day 5: Final Competition • Each team demonstrates their vehicle’s capabilities • Success is determined by • Vehicle being neutrally buoyant • Ability to pass through rings

  45. The Pressure Release… What We Learned • Emphasize engineering • Uniform engineering design process • Time constraints • One teacher not enough? • Group Dynamics

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