Career Exploration

How does sunblock work?  Who designed the iPod?  How do bridges stay up during earthquakes?  Chemical engineers, computer scientists, and civil engineers know the answers to these questions, and in this unit, kids learn about these careers and many more.  From working on goal-setting icebreakers, to creating advertisements for college majors, and designing board games about their roads to careers, kids explore a variety of science and engineering careers. 

Chemical Engineering

Using their knowledge of chemistry and problem-solving skills, chemical engineers find innovative ways of producing useful new materials and improving existing ones, like fuel, medicine, paper, and plastic.  The activities in this unit introduce kids to chemical manipulation and chemical processes.  The importance of following instructions in a lab is made fun as kids create peanut brittle.  Other challenges include discovering the chemical formula for the bounciest ball and creating a chemical combination to launch a rocket into the sky. 

Computer Science

Computers are everywhere.  In this unit, kids gain an understanding of how computer scientists and engineers write specific commands for all types of computers.  Kids learn the basics of programming through a robot workout and a twist on the lunchtime favorite, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  With two programming applications, Scratch and PicoCrickets, kids create animated greetings and program devices that make motors spin and lights flash. They learn how to safely navigate the web and how to create web pages of their own.  A final project integrating programming, robotics, and HTML has fashion-forward robots competing in a runway show. 

CSI

Kids may watch Crime Scene Investigators at work on television, but in this unit they are the forensic scientists. They play the roles of chemists, biologists, and detectives to learn how crime scene investigations are conducted.  They use methodical thinking to organize and examine evidence found at a crime scene.  Experiments include testing stomach contents for the presence of liver, dusting dishes to analyze fingerprints, comparing various inks with chromatography, examining hair samples with microscopy, and determining blood types.  Through these experiments, kids gain a further understanding of basic biological and chemical concepts. 

Design Challenges

Quick – what can you make with a skewer, a paper clip, a Dixie cup, and push pins?  With limited materials and time constraints, kids are challenged to design and construct structures and products.  Kids learn about mechanical energy and chemical reactions as they design and construct self-propelled cargo boats and bungee jumps for eggs.  Design challenges not only encourage kids to think creatively, they are great activities for emphasizing the importance of team work.

Digital Media

Lights, camera, animate!  The activities in Digital Media invite kids to explore the many features of a digital camera and discover what they can do with digital pictures.  Kids also learn about the fun and creativity involved in making an animated film.  Kids direct their very own Claymation film, from writing the story, drawing storyboards, and using clay figures, webcams, and stop-motion animation software to creating their own movies.

Electrical Engineering

Circuitry and electronics are prevalent in everyday life, but are complicated concepts to understand.  This unit demystifies these topics as kids use Snap Circuits to build circuits and learn the skill of soldering.  They also learn about electron flow, polarity, electrical components and terminology, and build circuits in both series and parallel to examine the differences between the two.  Projects include a light-up LED butterfly, a color-changing lantern, and their own electronic-buzzer game board.

Environmental Engineering

In this unit kids learn how to make the world a better, greener place through environmental engineering, from designing a solar powered car to figuring out what materials are needed to filter water.  In the Green Design Project, kids explore activities that emphasize energy conservation and material reuse while constructing a model “green” home. 

Icebreakers

Have fun, get energized, and make new friends with icebreakers!  They may seem like simple games, but they can be great ways to encourage kids to problem solve, work together as a team, overcome challenges, practice public speaking, and exercise leadership.  Kids have fun and build community at the same time. 

Mechanical Engineering

From playground equipment to cars, mechanical engineers design the moving parts of a product.  This unit includes an introduction to mechanics through activities with simple machines.  Kids also learn about automobiles and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and design their own cars using a variety of power sources.  These hands-on activities help kids understand how cars and ROVs work.  Kids also learn about the four-stroke engine, as well as how to care for and maintain the family car. 

Product Design

How does a product go from an idea in someone’s mind to the store shelf?  This unit helps kids understand the design process and lets them take on several roles in this process.  Kids analyze existing designs by taking apart hair dryers and other household appliances.  In the Toy Design project, kids research, design, and prototype their toy inventions.  The prototyping and building activities allow kids to see how designers must modify their designs in order to make sure they are effective and work properly.  Throughout all of these activities, kids explore the engineering design process and gain an appreciation for utilizing creativity within a structured format. 

Structural Engineering

When structural engineers develop their plans for buildings and other large structures, they must take into account safety, performance, and the cost of materials.  Kids must not only consider how sound the structure is, but also how many resources are needed for building the structure.  They create towers out of spaghetti, bridges out of straws, and domes out of gumdrops.  They test various parameters of each structure, such as how fast a marble can roll through their foam roller coaster and how long they can make their craft stick structure can last through an earthquake.