July 2014

Ah, the open road! Whether racing in the grueling Tour de France or pedaling for pleasure, July is prime time for cyclists. City streets now feature bike lanes and 35 states have plans to increase biking. It will be hard to stop your mechanical engineers once they cruise into this month's activity. See if any qualify for the yellow jersey!

Activity: Give Me a Brake!

Students in grades 3 to 6 learn about force and friction by examining how basic rim bicycle brakes work and discussing the advantages of various designs. They then use low cost materials to devise a simple braking system, suggest improvements to current bicycle brake designs, and present their recommended changes to the class.

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RELATED LESSONS

What are Gears? (Grades 4-8)

Pedal Power Great for Girls! (Grades 3-8)

MORE LESSONS:

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

Feature: Students Aim for World's Fastest Bike

Their human-powered helicopter hovered into the history books, winning the $1 million Sikorsky prize. Now, a team of University of Toronto engineering students and graduates hope to create the world's fastest bicycle.

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RELATED FEATURES:

Star Wars-style Hoverbike

Chain-less Bicycle

Student Invents Projecting Bike Light

Invisible Bike Helmet

Cardboard Bike

Spotlight: Video Library of STEM Lessons

MIT BLOSSOMS, a blended-learning initiative from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has compiled a video library with more than 100 free science, engineering, and math lessons taught by experts in the field. Searchable by state and national standards, the lessons include teacher's guides and activities to help high school students develop a gut feel for fundamental concepts.

Announcements

Verizon Innovative App Challenge. -- Middle and high school students need not be techies to dream up a $20,000 winning app idea. Registration opens Aug. 4. Learn more.

Undersea Video Expedition. Explore ocean "dead zones" and find other standards-based environmental education resources from Earth Echo International. Learn more.

Summer STEM learning. -- From conferences to workshops to camps, there are many opportunities to explore engineering over the holidays. Check out eGFI's list! Learn more.

Explore Our Site: Helpful Links for Teachers

	Prepare your students for engineering school with these 10 Essential Steps.
	Change your students' perceptions of engineering students.
	Introduce your students to young engineers who are already making a difference in the world.
	Stay up-to-date with cool engineering innovations.
	Find out about the engineering design process.
	Learn about the different types of engineering.
	Read our magazine online.
	Check out all the items in our online store, including copies of the printed eGFI magazine.
	Explore lesson plans and class activities.
	View our archive of past newsletters.

Check Out the eGFI Kids' Book

It'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.

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.

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eGFI Wins Award

Our January 2014 teachers' e-newsletter, "Olympic Engineering," took top honors for publication excellence in the 2014 APEX competition.