DiscoverE Leading Kids Through A Successful Engineering Experience

Leading Kids Through a Successful Engineering

Experience

An online workshop for volunteers.

Are you looking for the formula for leading kids through a successful engineering outreach experience?

DiscoverE Training

The Formula

Positive engineering messages

Hands-on activities

a successful outreach experience.

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Research has shown that effective and positive messages about engineering can increase a student’s understanding and interest in engineering.

The Messages

Find opportunities to share the following effective and positive messages with students during your visit.

The Messages

Message #1Engineering is creative.

Message #2: Engineering is about teamwork.

Message #3 Engineering makes a difference in the world.

Incorporate these messages when you introduce yourself to the kids and briefly explain your job.

The Messages

The second part of the formula is combining the messages with a hands-on activity.

The Activity

The Activity: Selecting the Best One

Go to DiscoverE.org and check out “Cool Content and Activities.”


Choose an activity that fits your criteria.

Sort by:

Time

Engineering discipline

Age range


Choose an activity that you can connect to the real world.

Harmless Holder

Example on DiscoverE.org:


Find more activities at:

www.pbs.org/designsquadwww.pbs.org/buildingbigwww.pbskids.org/zoom

http://www.pbs.org/designsquad

http://www.pbs.org/buildingbig

http://www.pbskids.org/zoom

The Activity: Testing It Out

Do the activity before your visit!

Identify the learning goals you want kids to walk away understanding.


Anticipate where kids may need extra help. Where might they get stuck?



Make modifications to the activity as necessary – such as adding or taking away materials.


Think of ways to extend the challenge for kids who finish early.

How does the activity reinforce the messages of teamwork, making a difference, or creativity?

Look for opportunities to weave these messages into your presentation.

The Activity: Getting Ready to Lead


What connections can you make from the activity to the real world or your area of engineering? Use photos or real life examples.

This is a great place to insert the “engineers make a difference in the world” message.


Write down some open-ended questions to ask kids during the activity – starting with “where” or “why?”


Plan your time.

Come up with a schedule to help keep the activity on track.

Be sure to leave time for wrap-up: time to summarize, reflect on results, and clean up.


Gather all the materials and supplies kids will need.

Confirm how many children you will have with your group’s teacher or leader.

Be sure to have extra materials on hand!


Decide how you will group kids.

Will they work alone or in small groups (2-4 kids)?

Will each team create one project?

The Activity: Setting the Tone

When you arrive…

Introduce yourself and talk briefly about your job. Weave in the 3 messages!


Establish a signal–such as ringing a bell or quickly flashing the lights–that tells kids to stop working and listen.

If kids are talking while you are, stop and wait. They will tend to quiet down in response to your silence.


Introduce the engineering design process…

brainstorm, design, build, test, redesign

…and emphasize the value of brainstorming and exploration, rather than right and wrong.


Share your enthusiasm for the subject—it will be contagious.

Have a sense of humor and be patient!

The Activity: Introducing It

Make your activity intro enticing and short.

You can choose to connect the activity to real-life examples now or during the wrap-up.


Give clear instructions.

Fully explain what the activity is and what kids will be exploring.

Give directions in multiple ways (e.g., verbally, written on the board).


Break kids into teams. This a great time to tell them how engineers work in teams.

Describe a project that you’ve worked on that has been a success because of teamwork.


Pass out materials only when you are ready for the kids to use them.

The Activity: Keeping Kids Engaged

During the activity…

Walk around and ask kids to describe what they’re doing.

Kids are sensitive about having the "right" answer, so emphasize the design process again.


Point out things that different teams are doing to the whole group.

This lets kids know that the activity is do-able and that they can make a contribution.

Explain that this isn't "copying," but rather collaborating and building on new information as engineers do.


If a group is not progressing, ask a leading question to put them back on track, rather than telling them what to do.

Use open-ended questions starting with:where, why, or how might you…


Have extension ideas ready for those kids who race through an activity ahead of the rest of the group.

The Activity: Wrapping It Up

Be sure to leave time to clean up, summarize and reflect on results.

And give kids a 5-minute warning first!


For the discussion, consider changing locations to capture kids attention (e.g. sit on floor – away from work stations)


If you haven’t already, connect the big idea of the activity back to the "real world.”


Ask: What do you know now that you didn't know before the activity?


Record kids' reflections and explanations in writing (on flip chart or dry erase board).


Keep conversation moving. Have only a few kids share their designs but ask all kids “does anyone have a similar design?”


If kids worked individually, allow them to take their products home to share with their families!

The Formula

Positive engineering messages

Hands-on activities

a successful outreach experience.

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The Results

You did it!

Business

DiscoverE Leading Kids Through A Successful Engineering Experience