For Black History Month, we honor trailblazers who stand on the shoulders of past giants. Tomorrow's George Washington Carvers can be found from research labs to Space Lab today, forging a better world as engineers and scientists. Pioneers include (clockwise, from upper left): Pamela McCauley-Bush (industrial engineer and entrepreneur); John Dabiri (bioengineer); Aprille Ericsson (aerospace engineer); Leland Melvin (astronaut); Raynelle Callender (computer engineer); and Will Lark, Jr. (MIT Media Lab). Another African American, Garrett Morgan, invented the traffic signal -- the inspiration for this week's lesson. See if your students, er, brake for lunch!
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Lesson: Building Sturdy Road Signs
In this lesson for grades 6-12, students enter Garrett Morgan's traffic-safety world. Using simple materials, they work in groups to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs. They begin by learning about the engineering design process and researching support structures. The final designs are tested to see how they stand up to two different types of loads.
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K-12 News: Smart Phones for all Learners?
 Most schools forbid cellphone use by students. Yet within five years, every K-12 student in America will be using a mobile handheld device as a part of learning, a University of Michigan researcher predicts. "Smart phones are the one technology that can eliminate the digital divide," says Elliot Soloway, professor of engineering and education. The devices' low cost makes it conceivable that every child, rich or poor, could use them to access education 24/7.
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 Just in at the eGFI store, "If I Were an Engineer" is a fun, colorful rhyming book that introduces engineering to kids from ages 5 to 8. Click the link to check out sample pages as well as our new introductory kit (one book, one mag, a pack of cards & poster). Limited quantities, so get 'em while they're hot!
Sample pages
Buy the kids' book or intro kit
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 February marks National Engineers Week (Feb. 20-26), and we plan to celebrate the entire month by giving away a pack of our eGFI cards to one lucky Facebook fan each week.
Our Facebook page for teachers is a great way to learn about contests, web resources, K-12 education news and lessons plans. It also offers a great way to interact with other STEM teachers across the nation--and around the world. Whether you're looking for a cool activity to engage your students or wrestling with rubrics, our Facebook community can help.
So, become a fan now!
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