National Engineers Month Engineers Make a World of Difference.

National Engineers Month

Engineers Make a World of Difference

IntroductionLet me introduce myself.

Where I grew up

Where I went to school

Where I work now

What my company does

Why I became an engineer/technician

What I love about my job

Today we will learn about engineering

Is anyone in the room an engineer?Does anyone in the room have the

skills and talents to be an engineer?Lets find out! Raise your hand if you…

Lets imagine:

What does it take to start and run a LEMONADE STAND?

Make the Lemonade Stand

Like a CIVIL ENGINEER!

Mix the lemon juice, sugar, water and ice to make lemonade

Like a CHEMICAL ENGINEER!

Decide how many cups you need for your customers

Like an INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER!

Set up extension cords to light up your lemonade stand

Like an ELECTRICAL ENGINEER!

Make sure lemonade stand gets customers by understanding when people want lemonade

Like a HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEER!

What is an Engineer or Technician?

Someone devoted to designing, making and operating the devices of everyday life.

Your Desk Your Shoes Your Telephone Your Home Roads Bridges Airplanes

Different Types of Engineers

Automotive Biomedical Civil Computer Electrical Environmental Transportation

And the list goes on…

Where would you find an Engineer?

Orbiting in space Building bridges Designing cars Exploring the ocean Putting soles on sneakers Developing your next favorite video game

Engineers are EVERYWHERE!

What Does it Take to Be an Engineer?

Be curious about how things workBe creative in solving problemsLike to think and figure things outEnjoy learning: Stay in school

Take math classes Take science classes Read books for fun

Engineering In-Class ActivityUsing the Engineering Method

• ASK yourself, “How could I solve the problem?”

• IMAGINE many different ways to solve it.

• Pick your best ideas and make a PLAN.

• Design and CREATE the solution.

• Test and IMPROVE the solution.

ImagineImagine

PlanPlan

AskAsk

ImproveImprove

CreateCreate

Series of steps that engineers use to guide them as they solve problems.

Building Marshmallow Towers

Let’s Give It A Try!

Building Marshmallow Towers

Build a Tower to hold a mass Must be at least 10 inch high Must stand for at least 30 seconds

Materials Spaghetti noodles Mini-Marshmallows Big-Marshmallows Ruler Paper for drafting plan Newspaper (for desk coverage)

Building Marshmallow Towers: Round 1

Form Teams of 4 or 5 personsDraw your idea on paper (5 min)

Build it with team (8 min)

Test your tower (2 min)

Continuous Improvement (Build it again – only better!) (5 min)

Building Marshmallow Towers: Round 1: Within-team

discussion

Take a few minutes to talk with your team: What worked within your team? What didn’t work for your team? Do you think that if you had another

try at this you could use your learnings and make a better tower?

Building Marshmallow Towers: Round 1: Between-team

discussion

Lets see if other teams had the same thoughts about their approaches to building the marshmallow tower What worked within your team? What didn’t work for your team? Do you think that if you had another try

at this you could use your learnings and make a better tower?

Design ConsiderationsTallest towerStrongest towerStrongest and Tallest

Lets take a few minutes and try to get some ideas from

other structures…. Can they improve our

Marshmallow Towers?

Great Pyramid of GizaBuilt 2560 BC

Tallest man-made structure for over 3,800 years

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Building started in 1887 and finished in 1889

81 stories high building.

Fifty engineers and designers produced 5,300 drawings to make tower

BridgesCan you see

something similar to the previous examples?

Triangles inherently strong

Building Marshmallow Towers: Round 2

Draw your idea on paper (5 min)

Build it with team (8 min)

Test your tower (2 min)

Continuous Improvement (Build it again – only better!) (5 min)

Building Marshmallow Towers: Round 2: Within-team discussion

Lets discuss your experiences What worked within your team? What didn’t work for your team?

Lets review how this exercise is an example of scientific inquiry

Building Marshmallow Towers: Round 2: Between-team

discussion

Lets see if other teams had the same thoughts about their approaches to building the marshmallow tower What worked within your team? What didn’t work for your team? Do you think that if you had another try

at this you could use your learnings and make a better tower?

MARSHMALLOW TOWERFood for Thought

1. How high did building your marshmallow tower go? Measure it with your ruler to find out high you built or put your structure to the test by putting the pre-selected mass test units on top of it to see if it will support them.

2. What shapes did you make with your marsh-mallows and spaghetti to create a sturdy tower?

3. What could you do to build a higher/stronger marshmallow tower? What would happen if you used different sized marshmallows? How about if you built a wider base or narrower base?

4. Be sure to predict what you think is going to happen. Then test your question.

Are marshmallows good building materials?

What other materials can you use to build a tower?

Try building a tower using clay and straws or toothpicks and peas.

SummaryIf you are curious about how things

work, are creative in solving problems, and like to think and figure things out…

Consider the career path of engineering or technician!!

Stay in School!

-Take Math and Science classes-Participate in Science Fairs

-Read books for fun

Questions?