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April 2015

Make a Splash!

water drop splashing  

April showers bring May flowers, unless you live in parched places like California. But even soggy cities shouldn't take fresh water for granted. This precious resource makes up just 3% of Earth's total, most of it trapped in glaciers. While billions lack sanitation worldwide, Americans use 100 gallons a day. Your environmental engineers will dive into this month's activity marking Water Week. Go with the flow!
Activity: Groundwater Detectives

 

Groundwater Detectives Map  

Teams of students in grades 5 to 7 locate a contaminant spill in a hypothetical site by measuring the pH of soil samples. They then predict the direction of groundwater flow using mathematical modeling and use the engineering design process to come up with alternative treatments for the contaminated water.

 

View Activity

RELATED LESSONS  

Dirty Water Project (Grades 3-5)  

Build a Solar Still (Grades 3-8) 

Pollution in Our Watershed (Grades 2-8)   

Harvest Water from Fog (Grades 4-12)  

Way to Flow - Irrigation (6-12)   

MORE LESSONS:

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

 

Feature: Flush with Savings

 

 

Cooper Union student Eric Nguyen demonstrates dual-flush toilet converter

When it comes to wasting water, toilets are America's top culprit, guzzling 27 percent of a home's daily flow - or about 75 gallons a day for a family of four. Now a pair of Cooper Union engineering students have designed a clever way to slow the flow.   

  

Read More    

 

RELATED FEATURES:    

Bill Gates Wants to Reinvent the Toilet 

Students Converge to Solve Water Woes

Running Dry

Engineering Student Invents Ocean Cleanup System

Turning Air into Water

Students Create Water-purifying System

While Supplies Last (ASEE Prism magazine feature on water engineering research)


 

     

Spotlight: Inspire Your Math Students


math student Math can be a tough sell. Many students think it's too hard, or that they're no good at it. It doesn't have to be this way. Stanford Graduate School of Education Professor Jo Boaler has designed a free program for teachers to change mindsets and inspire their fifth through ninth graders to think more deeply in mathematics.         

 

Read More 

 

Announcements

Report: Improving STEM Education. -- Green projects, embedded engineering, and other tips for boosting learning are the focus of AdvancED's spring issue. Learn more.  

Google Science Fair. -- Students 13 to 18 can win $50,000 in scholarships, trips to the Galapagos, and more in this global contest. Projects due May 19. Learn more.

Young Minds Design Contest. -- Middle and high school students create a product to solve a problem or improve a process. Enter by May 31. Learn more.

Internet of Things. -- Young women 13 to 18 design ways to improve the world by harnessing the power of connected technologies. New deadline: May 19. Learn more.

 
 
ASEE K-12 Engineering Workshop 2015 

teacher at ASEE K12 workshop 2014 Want to engage your STEM students? Whether you seek fun, hands-on activities to enrich your classes or a chance to network with peers and engineering educators from across the country, the American Society for Engineering Education's K-12 Workshop in Seattle is the place to be on June 13! Early registrants may qualify for a $10 discount.
 
Read 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
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.   

 

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 e-newsletter, Olympic Engineering, took top honors in the APEX competition for publication excellence.