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Swifter, higher, stronger. That Olympic motto could apply to the teams of engineers who develop high-performance apparel to help athletes go for the gold. Michael Phelps swam to 2008 glory in a full-body suit designed to reduce drag. (It later was banned.) Nike's new track and field uniform, above, has aerodynamic dimples and dots. As noted below, even horses will sport high-tech compression suits at the summer Olympics. Your materials engineers will dive into this month's challenge. A stich in time saves nine!
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| Lesson: Nano Waterproofing
 Nanotechnology has affected the design and engineering of many everyday items, from paint to fabrics. In this lesson, students in grades 6 - 12 learn about the hydrophobic effect and how re-engineering textile products at the nano level can introduce similar properties.
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RELATED ACTIVITY:
Design Inspired by Nature (Grades 3-6)
MORE LESSONS:
Grades K-5 | Grades 6-8 | Grades 9-12
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Feature: Fashion, Form, and Function
 High-performance garb is de rigeur for athletes. Now, it's racehorses' turn. This colorful suit, designed by Matthew Spice of Sydney, Australia, harnesses durable, warp-knit wicking sportswear fabric and a "graduated compression technology" to enhance circulation and help horses rebound from exertion. Wearable technology reaches beyond sports to lightweight military armor and applications in cybersecurity, medicine, and pop music.
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RELATED FEATURES:
LED-encrusted Snowboard Suit
New Shirt Measures Athletes' Performance
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| Spotlight: MIT and TED-Ed STEM Videos
 Khan Academy's YouTube math tutorials may not win any Oscars. But they pack a lot of academic merit, if the many students and teachers who use them are any indication. Now, teachers have a wider choice, with MIT and TED adding new, free resources to the K-12 STEM video playlist with free educational resources for teachers.
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Coming in June: K-12 Teachers' Workshop
 Sat., June 9, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. This day-long program for teachers and engineering educators offers a fast-paced and exciting overview of engineering education resources for the classroom. You'll discover valuable best practices, new contacts for collaboration, and the latest take-away tools for effective teaching about engineering. Early registration is now open until June 1. Count on a full, fun and motivating day!
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| Announcements
Next Generation Science Standards -- The latest draft was just released for public comment. Will you weigh in? Learn more
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month -- Mark the occasion by celebrating these notable engineers and engineering educators. Learn more
Shell Eco-Marathon -- High school and college teams design, build, and test concept cars that go farthest on a gallon of fuel. Registration opens this fall. Learn more.
Nanooze -- A magazine about nanotechnology for upper elementary to high school students is available free to schools, in classroom packs of 30. Learn more.
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What do the blockbuster "Avatar," high-performance sports gear, Angry Birds phone app, and pollution-eating bacteria have in common? They are among a host of cool innovations developed by engineers and featured in the new fifth edition of the American Society for Engineering Education's Engineering, Go For It magazine. The kid-friendly magazine is part of ASEE's campaign to inspire more K-12 students, particularly young women and underrepresented minorities, to pursue engineering majors and careers. The new edition just won a Silver Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards and caught the eye of Wired magazine blogger GeekDad. Now available in our store and on Amazon.com! |
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