Engaging Young Engineers

"This title provides instruction on how to teach problem solving and critical thinking to young children (birth to 5) using engineering, science, and routines as a framework. The engineering process is an ideal framework for designing learning experiences that support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and cognitive development for young children. Young children problem-solve in their daily play, and teachers and caregivers can promote the development of problem solving and critical thinking skills through intentional activities that support young children's brain development and prepare them for kindergarten. Key activities are outlined for each age group, with information on how each activity teaches young children to be curious, persistent, flexible, reflective, and collaborative. This title also provides specific guidance for supporting problem solving and science learning in inclusive classrooms using the universal design for learning (UDL) model, and it helps teachers to prepare children to work towards the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for kindergarten math and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for kindergarten science. This title can serve as a supplemental text for early childhood curriculum or instructional methods courses"--

"How do you land a car-sized rover on the surface of Mars, resolve a five-hour traffic jam or save a herd of caribou from near extinction? Ask an engineer! Engineers are problem solvers. They use their math, science and technology skills to find creative solutions to problems that need fixing. In Engineered! bestselling author Shannon Hunt explores nine feats of engineering and the step-by-step process that engineers followed to get to a winning solution. The book opens with an illustrated flow chart that explains the engineering design process in seven easy-to-follow steps (e.g., define the problem, identify requirements, build and test a prototype, etc.). Then, these steps are applied to nine real-life engineering stories - each from a different field, such as civil, mechanical or environmental engineering. By following a step-by-step process, engineers are able to come up with some ingenious (and sometimes crazy!) ideas that really work, like building a bridge taller than the Eiffel Tower to fix that five-hour long traffic jam. With direct curriculum applications, and following the guidelines in the Next Generation Science Standards, Engineered! is a must-have for schools, libraries and anywhere a maker space is found!"--

Bringing together a diverse cohort of experts, STEM in Early Childhood Education explores the ways STEM can be integrated into early childhood curricula, highlighting recent research and innovations in the field, and implications for both practice and policy. Based on the argument that high-quality STEM education needs to start early, this book emphasizes that early childhood education must include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in developmentally appropriate ways based on the latest research and theories. Experienced chapter authors address the theoretical underpinnings of teaching STEM in the early years, while contextualizing these ideas for the real world using illustrative examples from the classroom. This cutting-edge collection also looks beyond the classroom to how STEM learning can be facilitated in museums, nature-based learning outdoors, and after-school programs. STEM in Early Childhood Education is an excellent resource for aspiring and veteran educators alike, exploring the latest research, providing inspiration, and advancing best practices for teaching STEM in the early years.

Thinking Like an Engineer focuses on high-interest, career-related topics in the elementary curriculum related to engineering. Students will explore interdisciplinary content, foster creativity, and develop higher order thinking skills with activities aligned to relevant content area standards. Students will complete design challenges, visit with an engineer, and investigate real-world problems to plan feasible engineering solutions. Thinking Like an Engineer reflects key emphases of curricula from the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary, including the development of process skills in various content areas and the enhancement of discipline-specific thinking and habits of mind through hands-on activities. Grade 4

Uses engaging nonfiction text and hands-on projects to help young readers explore real-life bridge engineering projects, including the science behind how these structures are planned and built.

Incorporating HC 470-i-iii, 640-i-iii, 599-i-iii, 1064-i, 1202-i, 1194-i of session 2007-08