When Iowa STEM instructor Burke Swenson breaks out the Engineering is Elementary unit Catching the Wind: Designing Windmills, he has no trouble making connections between the engineering design challenge his middle school students are about to tackle and their real-life experiences. “The state of Iowa has more wind turbines per capita than anywhere else,” he says. “Go down the interstate an hour, and you’re at a wind farm.”

Q: I just learned I’ll be teaching the Engineering is Elementary curriculum this year. But I don’t know anything about engineering! Help—how do I get smart in a hurry?

A: First, know that you’re not alone. Most elementary teachers have never taken a college course in engineering. Second, remember that you don’t have to master advanced engineering concepts like “axiomatic design” or “dual modular redundancy,” just familiar concepts like “systems” and “processes.” Here are four fast ways to learn more about classroom engineering.

Children learn in different ways. Some students respond particularly well to kinesthetic or embodied learning—learning through body movement and dance. If you’re teaching the Engineering is Elementary unit Marvelous Machines: Making Work Easier, here’s a brilliant idea from Amy Williams, the dance teacher at Indianola Informal K-8 in Columbus, Ohio: integrate dance with your students’ exploration of simple machines.

Here in Boston, the Engineering is Elementary offices are buzzing with activity. As part of a new five-year initiative, we’re working to significantly expand our catalog of professional development resources. Currently in development: a variety of innovative, on-demand engineering videos.

Today, we’re pleased to release one new collection: EiE “Engineering Moments.” These short videos let you peek into elementary classrooms where students are engaged in hands-on engineering.

We hit a landmark recently—more than 10 million students have been reached by the Engineering is Elementary curriculum. Not all of that learning happened during the school year! Increasingly, we’re hearing about districts adopting EiE as a summer school curriculum. One of these districts is Colorado Springs District 11. Here’s their story.