This week is all about tinkering, hammering, sketching, measuring, analyzing, and experimenting. Why? Because it’s National Engineers Week! Use these resources to show your students why engineering matters. Find more resources to engage students at PBS LearningMedia.
Making Stuff | Grades 6-12 | Collection | Materials Science
What will the future bring, and what will it be made of? In NOVA’s popular series, Making Stuff, technology reporter David Pogue takes viewers on a fun-filled tour of the material world we live in, and the one that may lie ahead. Get a behind-the-scenes look at scientific innovations ushering in a new generation of materials that are different than anything we’ve ever seen.
These media resources enable educators to get an inside look at the field of materials science and encourage a better understanding of the scientific innovations that are developing materials that will shape our future.
The Catapult Project | Grades 5-12 | Video | Engineering Design
Join 7th grade integrated science and math teacher Zara Acosta as she leads her students through a 6-week catapult design project. Students learn about the laws of motion and forces, probability, and engineering design, and then apply these principles to design their own catapult. Multiple firings of the catapult over the six weeks give students practice with data analysis, with the goal of improving the catapult’s accuracy.
Aerospace Engineer | Grades 4-8 | Video | Career Profile
Aerospace engineers describe the work they do within the two major aerospace subfields of aeronautical and aerospace engineering. They discuss what they love about their job, how they use STEM concepts they learned in high school on the job, and that you do not have to be “a rocket scientist” to become a rocket propulsion expert.
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