Exploring Engineering 2022

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2021 ©

Exploring Engineering with

Introduction

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• Improve their ability to design solutions and develop a closer connection to a STEM discipline (or STEM more generally).

Innovation Design Process

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• Develop innovator mindsets, specifically being collaborative, bold, curious, perseverant and empathetic.

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• Develop skills in collaboration and communication (verbal and written) that support designing solutions, solving problems and thinking critically.

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Learners will: • Feel confident in their ability to solve problems.

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Learner Objectives

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Exploring Engineering with The Tech Challenge introduces learners to Design Challenge Learning through a series of 5 real-world challenges.

Learners engage in the Innovation Design Process as they build, test, iterate and share their designs over the course of 20 sessions. This exploration of engineering builds problem-solving capacity, self confidence, greater connection to STEM careers and innovator mindsets, the foundations for future success.

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© 2020 THE TECH

Exploring Engineering was developed by The Tech Interactive in San Jose, California. A science and technology center with a mission to inspire the innovator in everyone, The Tech has more than 34 years of experience developing design challenges, including the annual Tech Challenge, where students tackle a real-world engineering problem and learn through experimentation and failure. To date, over 35,000 students have honed their creative problem-solving and teamwork skills as part of this annual program.

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Introduction RIO

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Innovation Design Process

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Innovation Design Process

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Innovation Design Process

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The Innovation Design Process is iterative and it is not a linear progression toward a solution. There are leaps forward, setbacks and plateaus — presenting this as a fluid process and being responsive to learner pace will help things run smoothly.

PDF Resource / Video Resource

Innovator Mindsets

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Overview

Throughout this curriculum, learners will use and reflect on their innovator mindsets. These mindsets will build their confidence and problem-solving ability beyond this classroom and these activities.

Encourage learners to be bold, curious, perseverant, empathetic and collaborative.

PDF Resource

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Engineering

Design Challenges

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It is important for learners to connect what they do in the Challenges with engineering careers and realworld engineering processes and projects. It is recommended that these connections are introduced while doing the design challenges. Here are resources to aid you in incorporating those concepts and related language. Please adjust them to your program’s goals and learners’ needs.

Engineering PDF Resource / Vocabulary PDF Resource

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The core experience of this program is introducing learners to a variety of design challenges.

• Remember, learners are focused on the process, not the product, so try your best to move on at the suggested times, especially to sharing out or session reflections.

• If learners are excited about a challenge or need a little more time to build confidence, you can increase challenge build and testing time. Additionally, challenges include Challenge Card extension ideas for those teams that think they are “done” and need new criteria and constraints to push their designs further.

Teams and Collaboration

Collaboration is an innovator mindset and a core skill exercised in the curriculum. As learners do the challenges, they will work in small groups. There are several activities throughout the curriculum for them to reflect on and practice team building. Some additional aspects to consider: • Have learners change teams for each challenge. This will give them a chance to work with diverse groups and practice their skills in different contexts.

• Establish some collaboration norms so that learners have strategies in their back pocket for their teamwork. − For example, saying “Yes, and…” instead of, “Yes, but...” or using “I” statements.

• Establish clear roles for team members throughout the project. They can rotate these roles each session or week. − For example: scribe, materials manager, timekeeper, project manager. − Roles can also be named after real-world careers. − If using roles, make sure every learner still is empowered to use materials, build, test and contribute ideas.

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Introduction

Session Overview

Session Overview

Sample Session Schedule

This curriculum provides educators with 20 scaffolded sessions and tools for building problem-solving skills and confidence in STEM. Sessions can be adjusted to fit your organization's goals and program timing. The next few pages provide background information on key components of the curriculum and session structure.

Welcome

(25 min)

Activities

(30-40 min)

Session Close

(5-7 min)

Cleanup

(5 min)

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Welcome (2-5 min)

The flow for each session follows this basic structure.

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Sets the stage, frames and introduces the session’s activities. This should be your chance to check in with the learners.

Some strategies for managing this time: • Do a group greeting at the beginning of each session.

• Have learners do a quick task as they settle into class.

• Lead an icebreaker to introduce a topic or build collaboration and energy.

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• Simply review the session’s schedule and expectations.

Activities (30-40 min)

One or more activities, that are typically in one of the following categories.

Introductions

Frame and introduce concepts or design challenges.

Tech Tip: Framing the Challenge PDF / Video

Design Challenge: Although learners may jump between parts of the design process at any given time, there are specific moments throughout the curriculum when you will set aside time to introduce or practice elements of the process. These include: Brainstorming

Brainstorming is often used at the beginning of a challenge to generate ideas.

Tech Tip: Brainstorming PDF / Video

Prototyping

This create/test/reflect time is the most time consuming part of a Challenge. It should make space for learners to design, reflect, test and iterate on their devices.

Tech Tip: Prototyping PDF / Video

Sharing Solutions

Sharing should include opportunities for learners to both give and receive feedback. This curriculum includes a variety of examples for learners to do this including informal pair sharing and formal presentations at the end of the Design Challenges.

Tech Tip: Sharing Solutions PDF / Video

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Introduction

Session Overview

As a facilitator, you will want to be responsive to the needs of your learners and learning setting. Thus, activities within each section are designed to be swapped or adjusted as needed. For example, you may have teams Share Solutions verbally one session, but use the silent “awesomeness” activity another session.

Session Close (5-7 min)

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Just as Welcome is a check-in for the session, the Session Close is your chance to touch base at the end of the session.

At its heart, this is time for learners to reflect. Finding the time to process what they have been doing is extremely valuable for learning and growth. Vary the structure of this time each session. A suggested focus and possible questions will be provided in lesson directions, but you can choose the format and process that works best for your learners and situation. Here are some ideas:

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• Group: Learners discuss and reflect as a class. This can be a formal closing circle, or an informal class discussion.

• Pair/Team: Learners share with a peer or their team and then reflect as a whole class.

• Individual: Learners write their responses in their own individual journal or share them in an exit ticket with the educator as they leave.

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− Note: In addition to reflection, exit tickets are a great way to get feedback on pacing and team dynamics.

Cleanup (5-10 min)

Put away materials and put designs aside for the next session. Cleanup time will vary depending on the activities of the session. It can happen earlier in the lesson, but the key is to ensure it doesn’t take away from the Session Close and chance to reflect. Some strategies to manage this time: • Play music and say that everything must be cleaned up by the time the song is finished.

• Always remind learners to separate what can be reused and recycled.

• As learners are working on one Challenge over multiple sessions, make sure they save and label their designs. − Have learners/teams write their names on anything they made and place in the areas you have designated for them. − Paper bags or plastic bins can help teams organize and keep materials and prototypes session to session during one challenge.

Celebrate your successes and reach out for support! Capture photos, videos and stories of your learners designs and process. Share them with your colleagues or let us know directly how it's going.

We are always excited to see examples and get feedback about our resources.

Email BowersInsittute@thetech.org (Use subject line: Exploring Engineering comments).

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Exploring Engineering with

Challenge 1: Zipline

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Focus: Innovation Design Process

Learner Objectives Learners will: •

use the innovation design process.

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develop skills in written communication as they begin an engineering journal.

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design and prototype a device that can safely carry passengers down a zipline.

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present their solutions; give and receive feedback.

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Challenge 1

At A Glance

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Innovation Design Process

Brainstorming

Engineering Journals

Share Solutions for Zipline Challenge

Welcome

What is engineering?

What is brainstorming?

Why do people use journals?

Activity 1

• Engineering Journal Zipline Challenge: Introduction, Introduce Brainstorming • The Journal: Who, What, When, Where, Prototyping and Sharing Why?

Feedback: Norms for Constructive Feedback

Activity 2

Introduce Innovation Design Process

Prototyping: Take 2

Zipline Share-out: Team Share

Closing

Reflect on Design Process

Reflect on Brainstorming Reflect on Session 3

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Cleanup

Why do we share solutions and give feedback?

Cleanup and Save Devices

Notes and Tips

Reflect on Zipline Challenge Cleanup and Recycle Devices

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• Use this first session to set a positive tone for the rest of the Challenges.

• Establish norms and processes like closing reflections and journaling.

Resources

Zipline Challenge Resources

• Learner Resources: Zipline, Tech at Home (Video and PDF) • Learner Resources: Tirolesa, En Casa (Spanish PDF)

Session 1 Resources

Session 2 Resources

• Learner Video (choose 1 from playlist): “The Tech Challenge 2019” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2019

• Educator Tech Tip: Brainstorming (PDF)

• Learner Video (choose 1 from playlist): “The Tech Challenge 2020” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2020 • Poster: Innovation Design Process • Educator Tech Tip: Innovation Design Process (PDF)

• Educator Tech Tip Video: “Brainstorming” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2019 (2:09 min)

Session 3 Resources • Learner Video: “Tech Tools: Journaling” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2019 (2021 Tech Challenge Journaling Video)

• Educator Tech Tip: What is Engineering? (PDF)

• Learner Resource: Zipline Challenge Cards

• Educator Tech Tip Video: “Design Challenge Learning” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2019 (2 min)

Session 4 Resources • Educator Tech Tip: Sharing Solutions (PDF) • Educator Tech Tip Video: “Sharing Solutions” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2019 (2:50 min)

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Innovation Design Process

Challenge 1

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Agenda Welcome: What is Engineering?

30 min

Zipline Challenge: Introduction, Prototyping and Sharing

5 min

Introduce Innovation Design Process

5 min

Session Close: Reflect on Design Process

5 min

Cleanup

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10 min

Materials

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Materials and Prep

Look for items that match the categories in the Suggested Building Materials below.

• Try to provide a couple different types of items for each category. Don’t limit yourself to the items on this list.

Use whatever you have on hand. Be creative!

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• Materials can vary among groups and do not need to be identical.

Suggested Building Materials

2-4 items per team

2-4 items per team

10-15 items per team

Structural pieces for your vehicle

Items to hold the passenger or cargo Fasteners

□ Bottle caps

□ Cardboard

□ Binder clips

□ Cardboard tubes

□ Coffee filters

□ Clothespins

□ Chopsticks

□ Empty food containers

□ Hair clips and accessories

□ Hangers

□ Fabric

□ Paper clips

□ Ribbon spools

□ Plastic cups and bowls

□ Pipe cleaners (chenille stems)

□ Silverware

□ Plastic clips

□ Straws

□ Plastic laundry hooks □ Rubber bands □ Twist ties

Also need: Supply bins or bags to organize materials

*We leave tape and glue off this list on purpose. Forgoing tape and glue will allow for rapid iteration of designs. This also will allow you to recycle and reuse materials for another session. If needed, you can give teams a few inches of masking tape on request.

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Innovation Design Process

Challenge 1 1 set per team

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Per class

Tools

Zipline Test Area supplies

□ Bankers box or paper bag to store designs between sessions

Use a smooth, sturdy material for your zipline □ 5-24 ft string (example: clothesline, fishing line, kitchen twine)

□ Crop-a-dile ¼” Power Punch (Optional: for punching holes in plastic and cardboard)

OR □ 5-11 ft stick or rod (example: broom handle, curtain rod, dowel)

□ Hole punch □ Scissors

□ 2 items to secure the zipline (see diagrams below)

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Also need: □ Passenger/cargo (small toy or other item)

Test Area Set-up 1. Set up your zipline and test it.

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• To set up your zipline, tie your string or cord to 2 objects about 10 feet (3.05 m) apart with a 5 ft (1.52 m) change in vertical height. We recommend creating 2 parallel lines.

• If using a stick or rigid items as your zipline, secure it at both ends creating a 45-60 degree angle with the floor.

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• Zipline vehicles can travel quickly, so be sure to protect the landing zone with something soft to prevent learners’ vehicles from breaking.

2. Safety Note: Mark ziplines clearly to ensure there is no risk of anyone tripping or running into them.

Preparation

1. Read the Innovation Design Process Tech Tip and watch the Design Challenge Learning Video so that you can explain the design process.

• Print the Innovation Design Process Poster to show learners during the lesson.

2. Do the Challenge yourself. This will give you practice with the materials and tools to be able to anticipate learner questions.

3. Organize and set up materials.

• If desired, create “kits” or sets of materials to pass out to each group to start with. − Another option is to arrange materials by category for groups to browse “buffet” style.

• Use small bins to organize and store materials.

• Decide where you will store projects between sessions.

4. Decide how learners will form teams for this Challenge. They will need to work in the same group of 3-4 for the entire 4 session Challenge.

5. Make sure you have audio/video set up to share any videos with learners.

• If you decide to show a Tech Challenge video during the Welcome, choose one from the Playlist that you think will be relevant and interesting to your learners.

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Innovation Design Process

Challenge 1

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Session Directions Welcome: What is Engineering? (10 min) Video Option: • Set the stage for the first session and entire curriculum.

• If this is the first time these learners have worked together, do a quick icebreaker and set group agreements.

• Let learners know what they will be doing and learning throughout the program.

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• Next, ask one of the Guiding Questions.

• 2020 Virtual Tech Challenge Launch, Land and Expand

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Sample Introduction: Starting today, you are all engineers! You will be building and designing solutions to a variety of real-world problems. We’ll work in teams, challenge ourselves, and most of all, we’ll have fun!

Choose a video of the Tech Challenge to inspire learners.

Let them know they will be doing mini versions of these types of challenges.

• 2019 Tech Challenge No Roads No Problems

• Lead a short discussion to introduce the idea that they are all creative, and how this creative problem-solving connects to the work of engineers.

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• Emphasize that creativity comes in different forms and can be found in any career (example: engineers, designers, community organizers). − Connect this to creative problem-solving and the ways in which engineers solve problems.

− As you explain, make connections with the examples learners shared of things they have built and created.

Guiding Questions:

• Have you built or designed anything before?

• What kinds of things do you like to make and create?

• Explain what engineers and engineering are. Have learners share ideas of problems an engineer might work on. − Guide them to think of new ideas, beyond the more obvious bridges, vehicles or electronics.

Sample explanations of engineers and engineering: • An engineer is a person who designs and builds complex products, machines, systems or structures to solve a problem or meet a need. Engineers want to know how and why things work. Engineers are changing the world all the time. They think up creative solutions and work with other people to invent, design and create solutions to real-world problems.

• Engineering is the process that engineers go through to imagine, create, build and test a solution.

Examples of engineering careers and problems they solve: • Software design, city planning, new medications or medical devices, new materials or systems.

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Innovation Design Process

Challenge 1

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Zipline Challenge: Introduction, Prototyping and Sharing (30 min) • The goal of this activity is to introduce learners to the first Challenge and the Innovation Design Process. They will also have some time to begin prototyping and share the beginning of their ideas.

• The goal during this session is that learners experience rapid prototyping and see how they can learn from testing and sharing solutions. Learners will have four sessions to work on the Challenge, so don’t spend too long on any one section. Let learners know that the best way to understand what they will be doing in the program is to try it.

Frame the Challenge (2-3 min)

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• Optional: Use a video to spark learner interest.

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• Introduce the Challenge with an engaging story or scenario. Choose something you think learners will find interesting, motivating and relevant.

Sample Story/Scenario: • Develop a car for a new amusement park ride.

Tech Interactive at Home Zipline Video

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• Zipline a piano through the window of a multistory building.

Design Problem

Design a device to safely carry a passenger down the zipline.

Criteria (How you know it’s successful.

What to “test” for.)

• Passenger/Cargo gets to the bottom without falling out.

Constraints (Limitations)

• Use only the materials provided.

• Build within the time limit.

• Provide any safety reminders about tripping over the zipline before learners begin to build.

• Create teams of 3-4 learners for this Challenge.

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Video Example:

Innovation Design Process

Challenge 1 Prototype (5-8 min)

• Give learners no more than 8 minutes to prototype.

Tell them that during this time they will select materials, imagine, create, test & reflect and change their designs.

Prototype Questions: • What do you notice about the materials? How can you use or combine them differently?

• Let them know that they do not need to have a final design at the end of the time limit.

• What are you still trying to understand or imagine?

• Provide access to materials and have learners begin building.

• Ask facilitative open-ended Prototype Questions to guide their process.

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• Give them reminders about the time and let them know that when they finish they will share their ideas even if they haven’t completed them.

• What else could you try?

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• During the prototyping time, walk around and support the teams.

• Which parts of the device can you test as you build?

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• Encourage them to test on the zipline itself and collaborate with each other and other teams.

Share Solutions: Team, Pair, Share (5-10 min)

• At the end of the time limit, have learners stop even if they haven’t been able to complete something.

• Model the sharing with a student or team with something you partially built. (See Sharing Questions.)

• Have teams pair up with another team and share their designs with each other. Keep their sharing simple and focused on what they did and why. (30 seconds-1 minute per team) • After each team shares, have the learners in the other group give positive feedback on the designs.

Encourage them to tell the other team one thing they liked or thought worked well.

• Walk around to hear what teams are sharing and note some of the things you heard at the end of the sharing.

• If time remains, have teams rotate to share with another group.

• To facilitate this process, play music, which tells learners when to move on to share with a different group.

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Sharing Questions: • Tell us how your design is intended to work.

• What changes did you make as you were building?

• Show your design in action.

• What changes would you make if you had more time?

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Innovation Design Process

Challenge 1

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Introduce Innovation Design Process (5 min) • Tell learners that what they just experienced was a design challenge. Have them reflect on the experience:

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• Have them think about times and examples of where they used the different aspects.

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− Explain that it is nonlinear and iterative. They might start at any place, and they will repeat many parts of it, as they create solutions.

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• Point out the different parts of the process: define your problem, imagine, create, test and reflect, and share solutions.

share your sol ut io

Innovation Design Process

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• What was challenging?

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• What did you like about it?

• Then, share the poster and introduce the Innovation Design Process.

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• What did you notice about the experience?

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Reflection Questions:

© 2020 THE TECH

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− For example: Where did you notice yourself imagining solutions during the challenge? Learners may mention that in addition to the beginning of the process, some of them got new ideas when they were building with the materials or when other groups were sharing solutions.

• Remember, the goal of introducing the process is not for learners to memorize it, but instead create a shared vocabulary and understanding of the process.

Tech Tips

See the Innovation Design Process PDF and the video “Design Challenge Learning” YouTube, uploaded by The Tech Interactive, 2019 for more information. These are both designed for educators, but you may find parts of them useful to share with learners as well.

Session Close: Reflect on Design Process (5 min)

Focus: Reflect on the Design Process Strategy: • Closing Circle: Have everyone stand up and take turns sharing. It could be a word or just a short phrase response.

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Reflection Questions: • What parts of the design process did you find yourself doing today? Imagine, Create, Reflect, Share?

• Any shout-outs to team members who helped with specific parts of the process?

Challenge 1

Innovation Design Process

Cleanup (5 min) • If learners have not already done so, lead them in a cleanup of materials.

• Always remind learners to separate what can be reused and recycled.

• Have learners/teams write their names on anything they made and place in the areas you have designated for them for use in the next session.

• Play music and say that everything must be cleaned up by the time the song is finished.

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• If possible to do safely, leave the zipline set up for the next session.

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