Excellent Read - "Let's Invent!"

This article (Let's Invent!) is a very informative piece that discusses the implementation of engineering practices in the science classroom. Specifically, it focuses on having students iden... See More

This article (Let's Invent!) is a very informative piece that discusses the implementation of engineering practices in the science classroom. Specifically, it focuses on having students identify problems and design solutions using a limited amount of materials. One aspect of this idea that I really enjoy is that it allows students the opportunity to research and take interest in issues within their community. One of the suggestions in the article was to provide your students with the local newspaper and have them highlight local issues that can be solved by engineering design. I think this is an excellent way to get the students motivated and connected to the science at hand. The second aspect I liked was the suggestion to use the "Grab Bag Inventing" activity. This type of activity asks the students to design a solution to a problem using limited materials found in a prepared grab bag. I love this idea because it incorporates creativity, innovation and collaboration. I also think it is important that the article mentions practicing these engineering skills often. If implemented correctly, this strategy will be used time and time again to help students learn about and refine their engineering skills. I gave this article a 5 star rating because there wasn't anything I disliked about it in particular. My only suggestion would be for the article to include a sample lesson plan with the "Grab Bag Inventing" activity embedded. This would help me visualize a way to incorporate this kind of an activity into my student teaching plans. However, the article was wonderful overall. I highly recommend reading it and trying to incorporate these techniques into your own classroom. It truly encourages a new level of interest in the field of science - a level of interest student's may never be exposed to otherwise!