Hosted by OSOS , contributed by katerina on 17 April 2018
“Inspired by kids and grounded in research, Novel Engineering is an innovative approach to integrate engineering and literacy in elementary and middle school.
Students use existing classroom literature – stories, novels, and expository texts – as the basis for engineering design challenges that help them identify problems, design realistic solutions, and engage in the Engineering Design Process while reinforcing their literacy skills.
Teachers play a pivotal role in supporting their students’ engagement by providing a supportive, responsive environment that will allow students to build on their ideas as they work on complex problems. Instead of prescribing a particular solution or process for students, we believe that teaching engineering involves listening to, understanding, and responding to student thinking. Design is about realizing the ideas of individuals and Novel Engineering gives students the space to explore their ideas through design projects”.
Learning objectives
- Enhance Literacy skills
- Learn identifying problems
- Learn designing realistic solutions
- Engage with the Engineering Design Process
In greater detail, according to the developers, the program:
“Works Within ELA Curriculum
The highly-adaptable approach works within an already existing language arts curriculum where teachers choose books that work best in their classrooms.
Engages All Learners
The exciting and different way to practice literacy provides students who struggle with language arts a new way to demonstrate comprehension.
Introduces Realistic Engineering Problems
Looking for problems in the text as “engineers” introduces students to rich, realistic engineering problems that enable them to achieve higher-level engineering standards than expected at their grade levels.
Enhances Reading Comprehension
Students relate to the characters as they work to create solutions for them, enhancing the comprehension of text as students try to find details to predict characters’ choices. Students support their ideas with evidence from the text.
Provides Integration of Different Disciplines
Using texts to find engineering problems and engineering to promote the text provides synergistic integration of different disciplines and meets common core and Next Generation Science Standards.
Builds 21st Century Skills
Engaging in the Engineering Design Process allows students to practice important 21st century skills such as teamwork and communication.”
Αvailable partnership opportunities
|
Stakeholder 1 |
Language and Art teachers |
|
Stakeholder 2 |
STEM teachers |
|
Any more? |
People involved in this project can combine it with common projects including other classes, older cohorts, and other schools. They can also combine it with the local community by planning field trips to libraries or technology and art museums |
Resources needed
Novels. Resources for the engineering design part will be further decided by case, depending on
the problems that students will identify and attempt to resolve.
Organisation in charge of this Accelerator
This Accelerator has been developed by Tufts University CEEO 
.
Elissa Milto, emilto@tuftsceeo.org
Tufts University CEEO
200 Boston Avenue
Suite G810
Medford, MA 02155 (USA)
Website: http://ceeo.tufts.edu
Feel
An integrated approach to teaching Engineering and Literacy
Imagine
Students use existing classroom literature – stories, novels, and expository texts – as the basis for engineering design challenges
that help them identify problems, design realistic solutions, and engage in the Engineering Design Process while reinforcing
their literacy skills.
Teachers play a pivotal role in supporting their students’ engagement by providing a supportive, responsive environment that
will allow students to build on their ideas as they work on complex problems. Instead of prescribing a particular solution or
process for students, teaching engineering involves listening to, understanding, and responding to student
thinking. Design is about realizing the ideas of individuals and Novel Engineering gives students the space to explore their ideas
through design projects.
Create
|
# Session |
Duration |
Description |
Resources needed |
Location |
|
1 |
- |
Read a book and identify problems – Through discussion and attentive reading, students collect problems that characters face.
|
· The Novel · Pen/paper |
In the classroom |
|
2 |
- |
Scope problems and brainstorm solutions – Students consider the needs of the story’s character/client and the context/constraints imposed by the text as they brainstorm possible solutions.
|
· The Novel · Pen/paper |
In the classroom |
|
3 |
- |
Design a solution – Students work in teams to plan and build a functional prototype that addresses the character’s needs and constraints
|
· The Novel · Pen/paper · Computer with Internet · Additional materials depending on the problem identified |
In the classroom |
|
4 |
- |
Get feedback – Students test their solutions as they build and get feedback from their teacher and/or peers.
|
· The Novel · Pen/paper · Computer with Internet · Additional materials depending on the problem identified |
In the classroom and /or maybe additional fieldtrips depending on the project |
|
5 |
- |
Improve designs – Students use information gathered during testing and presentations to improve and revise their designs.
|
· The Novel · Pen/paper · Computer with Internet · Additional materials depending on the problem identified |
In the classroom |
|
6 |
- |
Share – Teams can either present their final solution or reflections on their process to the class, write a story that includes their solution, or make an advertisement for their solution. |
· The Novel · Pen/paper · Computer with Internet · Additional materials depending on the type pf presentation students will select |
In the classroom |