How can engineering help me solve problems? Help K-5 students answer this essential question (and meet the Common Core State Standards) with the Teaching STEM lesson plans for this mentor text: Cool Engineering Activities for Girls by Heather E. Schwartz (IG740L)
Unit Summary: Students will examine the essential question, “How can engineering help me solve problems?” Students will solve an actual engineering problem by designing and testing a paper airplane. They will test their products and have the opportunity to work in groups to redesign a second plane after examining the more successful plane designs. They will use the steps an engineer might follow to address the problem and design a solution, and then retest it.
The Library Activity begins on page 138. The Collaborative Teacher Activity is on page 140.
Extension Activities (sample)
1. Have the students identify a problem they have in their daily life and design an invention that would help solve that problem.
2. Have the students each make new airplanes and test them individually. Measure how far they fly and see if they have improved on their designs following the lesson.
3. After reading the book, have the students write a short description of the main idea of the book. Use the phrase, “I am a engineer. I know that _________.”
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