Youth work in small teams to develop cookie packaging during an engineering activity in an afterschool program. See how the educator supports youth in working together as a team.
See how an experienced educator identifies and demonstrates explicit strategies to support youth in developing their identity as engineers during an engineering design activity where youth create packaging to keep cookies from being broken.
This engineering activity integrates math into a cookie package design challenge. See how you can encourage youth to use their mathematical knowledge to inform their design decisions.
Engineers think innovatively to envision multiple possible solutions to open-ended problems. Youth apply this practice as they design unique balloon-powered vehicles.
Engineers make trade-offs to balance competing factors as they solve problems. As youth create enrichment toys for zoo animals, they balance the animals’ safety with keeping them engaged.
Youth explore hands-on museum exhibits to learn about force and motion and then apply their scientific knowledge as they engineer their own marble ramps.
Engineers design solutions to specific, real-world problems. Sometimes these solutions involve a specific client or need. Here, youth design a toy to engage a particular zoo animal in play.
Engineers test their designs to see how well they work. Then they use their observations and data to test their design, then test it again. The educator in this video explains how to test balloon-powered cars and encourages youth to improve their designs.