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June 2013

Revolution in Engineering

Top of London Eye    

When engineer George Ferris unveiled plans for a giant steel wheel to showcase American innovation at the1893 Chicago World's Fair, critics called him crazy. But his 264-foot-tall creation, which debuted 120 years ago on June 21, proved a huge hit. It drew some 38,000 riders daily and inspired today's towering mega-wheels like the London Eye, above. This month's activity will set your designers' minds in motion. Happy birthday, Ferris wheel! 

 

Activity: Build a Big Wheel

 

Ferris wheel gondolas In this activity, teams of students in grades K-12 learn about the history and engineering behind big Ferris wheels by constructing a working model using pasta, glue, and teabags.

 

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RELATED LESSONS  

Build a Roller Coaster (Grades 3-6)

Float a Hot Air Balloon (Grades 6-8)

Learn About Torque (Grades 6-8)  

Balloon-Powered Car  (Grades 4 - 8) 

MORE LESSONS:

Grades K-5  |  Grades 6-8  |  Grades 9-12

 

Feature: Engineering Summer Fun

   

Intimidator 305 School's out and it's time to hit the amusement parks. Luckily, when it comes to dreaming up the wackiest, scariest rides and slides, engineers have got you covered. The Intimidator 305, the mega-coaster in the photo from King's Dominion in Doswell, Va., reaches speeds of 90 mph. Design tweaks fixed early G-force issues that had caused some riders to black out.  

 

Read More    

 

RELATED FEATURES:

Roller Coaster Physics  

Build it Bigger: Rollercoaster [video]     

Bicycling in the Sky  

Ideas at Play     

Engineering is: Defying Gravity  

 

Spotlight: Teachers TryScience


teachers tryscience logo Teachers TryScience, a website hosted by the New York Hall of Science for K-12 STEM educators, has free, engaging lessons, teaching strategies, collaboration tools, and other resources designed to spark student interest in STEM. Accessible in English and Spanish. 

 

Read More 

 

STEM Teachers: Join Us in Atlanta June 22! 


ASEE K12 workshop 2012 Teaching literacy and math through design, 3-D visualizations, and a CSI workshop for teachers are among the engaging, hands-on engineering activities on the program when ASEE's 10th Annual K-12 Workshop kicks off Saturday, June 22 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Join K-12 teachers, administrators, and engineering educators from across the nation for a full day of interactive projects to share with students, takeaway materials for the classroom, and networking opportunities. Certificates of completion at the end may entitle teachers to CPE credits. For details, contact [email protected].   


girls doing engineering in class Rhode Island and Kentucky are the first to approve the Next Generation Science Standards. Both are among the 26 states that helped develop the new standards, which include engineering design and emphasize problem solving and cross-cutting concepts. Meanwhile, a new study examines how well states have aligned graduation requirements with Common Core state mathematics standards.

 

Announcements
 

Kids.gov Summer Learning. Beat the summer slide with videos, games, and other U.S. government educational resources. Live @kidsgov Twitter chat June 20 at 1 pm. Learn more.

 

Women in Geoscience Scholarship. -- The AWG Minority Scholarship provides up to $6,000 for women interested in pursuing hydrology other geoscience field. Deadline June 30. Learn more

 

Free Intro to Engineering Workshop. -- Widener University hosts a free, interactive workshop for high school teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators July 30-Aug. 1. Learn more.

  

Coles Family Engineering Scholarship. -- Created to honor engineer Leroy  Anthony Coles III, the scholarship awards up to $2,500 to students pursuing engineering. Learn more.

 

Explore Our Site: Helpful Links for Teachers

Cynthia Breazeal Wants You to Make Friends with RobotsJetman: Flying Soon to a Landmark Near YouUnderwater Scooters are the New SCUBAEbone Pierce - Mechanical Engineering StudentTurning Air into WaterVertical Forest Coming Soon to Milan
bulletPrepare your students for engineering school with these 10 Essential Steps.
bulletChange your students' perceptions of engineering students.
bulletIntroduce your students to young engineers who are already making a difference in the world.
bulletStay up-to-date with cool engineering innovations.
bulletFind out about the engineering design process.
bulletLearn about the different types of engineering.
bulletRead our magazine online.
bulletCheck out all the items in our online store.
bulletExplore lesson plans and class activities.
bulletView our archive of past newsletters.

   


If I Were an EngineerIt's never too early to learn about engineering. Along with our 5th Edition magazine and classroom cards, Engineering, Go For It offers an engaging children's book in its collection of learning materials.

 

"If I Were an Engineer," from the American Society for Engineering Education, is a fun, 40-page rhyming book that introduces engineering to kids 5 to 8 years old. It includes a parent page that explains the various engineering disciplines.  

 

Price: $7.95

 

Now available in our store and on Amazon.com!  

 

About the eGFI Teachers' Newsletter

 

Delivered each month to your email inbox, our newsletter is packed with lesson plans and activities, resources, feature stories, and the latest developments in K-12 engineering education. eGFI is part of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), a non-profit organization committed to enhancing efforts to improve STEM and engineering education.   


American Society for Engineering Education 

1818 N Street, N.W., Suite 600

Washington, DC, District of Columbia 20036

 

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