At EiE, we know you need more than a basic curriculum to meet the diverse needs and interests of your students. That’s why we’ve developed our Computer Science Essentials units for grades 1-5. Bring together engineering, science, computer science and math with units specially designed for maximum impact.

In May, the EiE Research Team launched a comprehensive survey to over 9,000 parents and educators across the country. Our goal was to better understand how teaching and learning have been impacted so that we can respond with high quality STEM resources that meet the unique needs of this moment.

On June 23rd, members of our leadership team, Jill Olson and Heather Gunsallus, hosted an incredible webinar for STEM educators on edWeb. Their presentation, Hands-on and Virtual: STEM Learning from a Distance, covered some of our ongoing research on the impact of hands-on learning for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as examples for adapting STEM topics for distance learning.

This is just some of the data we’ve collected!

Engineering is Elementary is conducting a major research study to explore the question, “What makes an elementary engineering curriculum effective?” We’ve collected mountains of data from thousands of elementary students in hundreds of classrooms . . . and the information is helping us answer more than just this one question!

For example, we’re looking at how engineering notebooks can make learning more engaging. EiE researcher Jonathan Hertel presented some findings at the annual American Society for Engineering Education conference in New Orleans, and recently co-authored an article entitled "The Roles of Engineering Notebooks in Shaping Elementary Engineering Student Discourse and Practice" in the International Journal of Science Education.

The idea of integrating engineering with traditional K-12 subjects is still pretty new. If you’re a teacher looking online for age-appropriate engineering lessons, you may find what’s on offer is too challenging­—or too simplistic—for your students.  And if you’re a curriculum developer, you won’t find many resources to show what kinds of engineering kids are capable of at different ages. That’s why EiE’s research team has developed a concise set of Engineering Learning Trajectories for ages 3–12.

Understanding How Kids Learn

The new learning trajectories draw on EiE’s extensive research on “how children learn engineering.” “Kids who are twelve have different skills and abilities than kids who are three,” says EiE director Christine Cunningham. “That may seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook.”