School and Community Summer 2024

Engaging in the Engineering Process: Starting with Seedy Solutions S tudents utilize their creativity and critical thinking skills as they problem solve through engineering challenges. As they do so, they collaborate and

birds help with plant pollination in the following 5 lessons within Unit 1 . While on a nature walk around the school, students collect as many different types of seeds as they can find, then sort them based on their characteristics. Next, they use socks to see one way that seeds disperse, then explore various forces that move seeds. This learning culminates in the last lesson of the unit, Lesson 1F Seed Engineers (see figure 1). Students apply their outside observations on different methods of seed dispersal and are challenged to solve one of these problems through engineering a model seed: • Seeds need to float in water for at least 3 minutes. • Seeds need to float in the air for at least 5 seconds. • Seeds need to stick to a sock and be carried at least 10 feet. • Seeds need to be thrown at least 15 feet. Students work together, design their plan, test and likely fail (hopefully!). This is part of the engineering process (see figure 2). Each failure allows students to learn, redesign their model and try again. As students work together, they reflect on what went wrong and identify options to improve their design. Students share creative ideas and discuss options, then seeing how their ideas form real outcomes to achieve their goal. Each step is an important part of learning the engineering process (see figure 3).

communicate with their peers. Engineering is a great way to incorporate 21 st Century skills in your classroom while meeting Missouri Learning Standards or Next Generation Science Standards. Available in Fall 2024, the new Discover Nature Schools Second Grade: Life and Land in Missouri curriculum incorporates engineering practices throughout. Students who actively practice the skills within the engineering design process will : • Ask – What problem do I need to solve? • Think and Imagine – What do I already know that can help me solve the problem? • Plan – What do I think could be the best solution? What materials do I need? • Create, Test and Improve – Make a model. Test and improve my model at least 3 times. • Evaluate and Share – Did my model work? Why or why not? Share results so we know what works and does not work. Using this curriculum, second grade classroom learning and instructional coaches can link with lessons in the schoolyard. Students will use their observation skills during the fall unit Searching for Seeds. Students first explore Lesson 1A Flower Power as they learn the function of a flower, then explore how insects and

Figure 2: The steps of the Engineering Design Process which is outlined in the Student Book.

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