Engineering+is+Elementary

= EIE: Thinking Inside the Box - Unit Overview =
 * **EIE Unit Topic ** || **Science Connections ** || **Complex Thinking & 21st Century Skills ** ||
 * **Anchor Story **

What are engineering and technology? Who creates the things that we use? Where do we find technology in the world? || Requirements for growth of a plant. Recognize plants have different parts with different functions. Introduce scientific recording procedures. Begin observing leaves and flower buds. || Students examine objects and determine the problem solved by its creation. ||
 * **Who are packaging Engineers? **

What do engineers do to design or improve a product or system? What problems do technologies solve and what problems do they create? || Different materials have different properties. || Students analyze and evaluate different packages and their functions. Then students explore ways to improve the current packages and explain their reasoning for the changes. ||
 * **Evaluating Needs & Creating Criteria ** || Planting seeds and hydroponics. Observing pods, looking at flowers, and questioning how plants grow. Factors influencing plant growth. Evaluating what has been learned about plants. || Students identify criteria to evaluate plant packages. Students create a rubric to make evidence based judgements of a plant's health. ||
 * **Improving a Package Design **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How do we design, improve, or evaluate a product or system? Why is it important for engineers to work together? || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Plant health is analyzed and decisions are made as to what need is not currently being met by the package. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students reflect critically on their own plant package design, refine the design and determine what steps to take next. Students evaluate their collaboration and communication throughout the design process. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Expert Consultants ** || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Cincinnati Container - Shared with students the process of matching up the right container with the right product for hundreds of different local customers.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Honda Research & Development - Mechanical Engineer described the process of designing an ATV from concept to mass production.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Collaboration and communication were stressed by both presenters. || ||