Did you know that each EiE unit was designed to support English Language Arts (ELA) instruction? Our curricula use a diverse
range of fiction and nonfiction video and print media as tools for setting the context for engineering challenges. This crosscurricular approach does more than help kids find meaningful real-world connections—it enhances learning across all subject areas. Join the EiE PD team on Tuesday, January 31st at 6:30 PM EST (3:30 PM PST) as they share their insights about ELA integration in the 60-minute interactive online PD session, “Integrating English Language Arts & Engineering in the Elementary Classroom.”

The students in Jean Facchiano's fourth-grade class have spent the morning engineering their own models of permeable membranes, using ordinary kitchen supplies like sponges, coffee filters, and perforated aluminum foil. The goal is to design a system that lets water drip into a frog habitat, keeping the container slightly damp, not dry or flooded.

Each group of students has come up with their own unique system for controlling water flow into the habitat. Now, in the video below, the students present their results. It's not just a show-and-tell; it's a concise demonstration of elementary students starting to apply their systems-thinking skills.

We’re excited to announce that Engineering Adventures, our out-of-school-time (OST) curriculum for grades 3–5, has two new offerings available for download. A Slippery Slope: Engineering an Avalanche Protection System explores the field of avalanche engineering as kids try to engineer a system that protects a model village from an avalanche, and Light Up the Night: An Electrical Engineering Challenge challenges kids to become electrical engineers and create a light display that mimics the Northern Lights.

Have you ever taught an integrated engineering lesson that is so engaging, it encourages even the most ardent math-hater in your classroom to complete some challenging calculations without a word of complaint? Integration between STEM subjects can be incredibly valuable to young learners when it’s done in a meaningful way. But what defines meaningful integration? Join the EiE PD team on January 11^th at 6 PM EST as they explore this question in the 90-minute interactive online PD session, “Investigating What Makes Integration Between STEM Subjects Meaningful.”

The EiE Team would like to thank you all for a wonderful 2016. We've loved hearing your inspiring engineering stories, and we can't wait to show you all of the exciting projects we've been working on this year. One of the highlights of our year was receiving Presenter's Choice and Viewer's Choice honors at the 2016 NSF STEM for All Video Showcase. We're proud of this video because it encapsulates so much of what we love about EiE.