Hosted by OSOS , contributed by katerina on 16 April 2018
Engineering Adventures is a curriculum created especially for kids in grades 3–5 in
out‐of‐school time programs! This curriculum is designed to provide afterschool
educators with valuable engineering resources and content to make learning fun.
Through the Engineering Adventures Curriculum kids follow India and Jacob as they
solve real‐life problems by using the engineering design process. Afterschool
educators can choose from ten units with fun, hands‐on engineering design
challenges based on real events around the world. Currently the Engineering
Adventures Curriculum is complementary for US. Educators.
Learning objectives
Overall goal of the Engineering Adventures Curriculum is to:
- Introduce students to the Engineering Design Process
- Help students Connect Engineering, Science and Technology
- Help students develop Contextual Problem‐Solving Skills
- Help students develop collaborative team working skills
- Help students develop communication skills
but each one of the 10 unit has more specific learning objectives.
Available partnership opportunities
The projects can support collaboration with afterschool teachers across the same or different
classes/cohorts. Parents could also use it as an inspiration for various projects kids can work in at
home or plan relative weekend excursion with kids.
Recommended resources
Different resources are required for every unit. Many Engineering Adventures design challenges
use materials that are commonly available at grocery, hardware, or craft stores.
For more information about each unit please visit
https://www.eie.org/engineering‐adventures/curriculum‐units
Organisation in charge of this Accelerator
This Accelerator has been developed by EiE (the Boston Museum of Science).
EiE Professional Development eiepd@mos.org
Website: http://www.mos.org/
Feel
Development of Engineering literacy at elementary school
Through the Engineering Adventures Curriculum kids follow India and Jacob as they solve real‐life problems by using the engineering design process.
Imagine
The curriculum consists of 10 units/challenges from various subject fields, such as:
- ELECTRICAL
Title: “Light up the night”
Field: Electrical Engineering
While visiting Iceland, India and Jacob learn that they get to help design a display for the annual Light Festival!
After experimenting with circuits and sculpting materials, kids design a light display that replicates the Northern
Lights.
- AVALANCHE
Title: “A Slippery Slope”
Field: Avalanche Engineering
Jacob and India are in Peru exploring the Andes Mountains when they learn a town is in danger from a potential
avalanche. Kids use what they learn from designing barriers and catches to engineer an avalanche protection
system.
- ACOUSTIC DEVICES
Title: “Music to my ears.”
Field: Acoustical Engineering
This unit introduces kids to the field of acoustical engineering as they design and improve acoustic devices. After
experimenting with shapes and materials that reflect and absorb sound, kids use a decimeter to measure
changes in volume. Kids use what they know about sound and vibrations to help India and Jacob design acoustic
devices that amplify music from a speaker in several locations
- FLYING TECHNOLOGIES
Title: “The Sky is the limit”
Field: Aeronautical Engineering
India and Jacob are visiting a friend at NASA’s Ames Research Lab. With India and Jacob’s help, kids dive into
aeronautical engineering by designing models of flying technologies that help NASA collect aerial photographs.
Kids will learn that scientists and engineers often study harsh environments here on Earth (like the largest sand
desert in the world, the Empty Quarter) to understand the environments they might encounter in space
- ROCKETS AND ROVERS
Title: “Liftoff”.
Field: Aerospace Engineering
Jacob is at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory learning how to engineer rovers that can be used to explore
faraway worlds. Meanwhile, India is learning about the trade‐offs and variables involved in engineering a rocket
as she blasts off to the International Space Station. Kids will engineer rockets and rovers to help India and Jacob
explore several planets and moons in our solar system
- BUBBLE WANDS
Title: “Bubble Bonanza”
Field: Geotechnical Engineering
Jacob and India are in California, and they get to help create a stage show about bubbles for an amusement
park! Kids will explore how bubbles behave and investigate the properties of different materials as they engineer
all kinds of bubble wands. The unit wraps up with a Bubble Bonanza Showcase where kids demonstrate their
creations
- AIR DROP PACKAGES
Title: “To the rescue”
Field: Package Engineering
While travelling in Thailand, Jacob and India learn that monsoon rains can cause severe flooding that cuts people
off from important supplies. Kids will help Jacob and India engineer “aid drop packages” that can be dropped
from an aircraft, protect what’s inside, and are easy to find once they reach the ground
- EARTHQUAKE
Title: “Shake things up”
Field: Earthquake Engineering
A huge and very destructive earthquake hit Haiti in 2010. Now Jacob and India are there, learning how to support
and protect buildings during earthquakes. Your kids will engineer model buildings that are earthquake resistant.
They’ll also develop building codes that help others build earthquake resistant structures
- RECYCLED RACERS
Title: “Go Green”
Field: Green Engineering
India and Jacob visit Senegal, where they’re impressed by the way people recycle items that would ordinarily be
discarded by turning them into toys, sculptures, and household objects. Your kids will use recycled materials to
engineer their own toy cars, then compete in a Recycled Racer Rally
- INVASIVE SPECIES
Title: “Hop to it”
Field: Mechanical Engineering
Oh no! India and Jacob accidentally brought a cane toad from Australia to New Zealand. Cane toads are pests.
They’re an invasive species that hurts native species in Australia—and they could do the same in New Zealand.
Kids will help India and Jacob engineer a humane trap to catch the toad