August 2014

Building castles at the beach may seem mere child's play, each turret a brief triumph over wind and waves. But sand - or silica, as the mineral-and-rock grains are known - has been a crucial construction material since ancient times. Today it is found in everything from bricks to cement to glass. Your civil engineers will dig this end-of-summer activity. See if their structures hold up!

Activity: Engineering for the Three Little Pigs

Students in grades 3 to 5 learn about the importance engineers place on using the right materials by building three different sand castles and testing them for strength and resistance to weathering.

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RELATED LESSONS

Sand and Water (Grades 3-8)

Concrete for Kids (K-12)

Design a Green Rooftop (Grades 6-8)

MORE LESSONS:

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

Feature: Lighter Than a Feather

That's no chocolate wafer perched atop a dandelion, but the world's lightest material. Created for DARPA by researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of California, the nickel micro-lattice's design was inspired by the strong, lightweight architecture of structures like the Eiffel Tower.

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RELATED FEATURES:

Students Win Disaster Shelter Design Contest

Meet Materials Engineering Major Wendy Peng

Philadelphia Eagles Build a Green Stadium

Engineering as Art: Theo Jansen's Beach-combing Strandbeesten

Spotlight: Videos Teach Core STEM Concepts

Are your students vexed by vectors or stymied by simple machines? MIT's Teaching and Learning Lab and the Singapore University of Technology and Design have teamed up to produce a series of free STEM Concept Videos designed to help students learn these and other pivotal ideas in science, technology, engineering, mathematics.

Announcements

SMART Competition. -- Redesigning a gym is the theme of this year's intelligent-building challenge for high school students. Registration opened Aug. 18. Learn more.

Google RISE Awards. -- Receive up to $50,000 to start or expand a computer science program for girls or underrepresented groups. Apply by Sept. 30. Learn more.

STEM Teacher Scholarships -- Applications just opened for Engineering is Elementary's professional development workshops. Funds include travel to Boston. Learn more.

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

Engineering for You. Vote by Sept. 1 for your favorite video in the National Academy of Engineering's 50th anniversary contest. 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.