Engineers: Who They Are and What They Do

TIME REQUIRED

Two 50-minute periods.

LESSON RATIONALE

Engineering is an often overlooked and misunderstood profession.  The United States needs to attract more students into engineering programs in order to help sharpen its competitive edge in the global marketplace.  To accomplish this, an introduction to the nature and excitement of the profession early in children's schooling career is necessary.  The purpose is to arouse interest in the subject and encourage children to complete the pre-college courses in math and science necessary for college-level engineering education.

CONCEPTS, UNDERSTANDINGS, SKILLS

  1. The engineer is basically a problem solver.
  2. Engineering is the practice of using the laws and resources of nature to create products that perform useful functions.
  3. The engineer uses a problem-solving model to direct activities toward a solution to problems.

MATERIALS

Classroom set of copies of the two student readings and two worksheets

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to give a general definition and description of the engineering profession

SUGGESTED PROCEDURES

  1. Distributed a copy of student reading #1 to each student and ask the students to read it.  Tell them to underline the most important ideas or sentences in each paragraph.
  2. Have members of the class identify the main points of each paragraph.  Write the points on the chalkboard as they are identified.  As students present their choices, use questions and discussion to ascertain that the class understands the vocabulary and the highlighted ideas.
  3. Distribute worksheet #1.  Tell the students to write their name, date, and class is the space provided and then to compose the presentation called for at the top of the sheet.  Students can be asked to complete the worksheet as a homework assignment.   In that case, begin the second session by having several students read their presentations to the class.  Follow the readings with a brief discussion.
  4. Distribute student reading #2, "Understanding the Engineering Problem-Solving Process," to the class and tell them to read it.  Then proceed as in step 2.
  5. Distribute worksheet #2, which contains the problem-solving model, and tell the students to complete the sheet according to the printed instructions.  Then continue as in step 3.

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Break up the class into teams of three to five students.  Their assignment is to go to the library and use its resources to compile a list of as many different engineering specialties as they can find and to write a brief statement or paragraph explaining the nature of each. In class, have teams report on their lists and share their definitions.   Select an engineering specialty.  Have an engineer in that specialty speak to the students about it.