Thursday, March 23, 2017

ENGINEERING JOBS

I’m packing for my trip to Kentucky where I’ll be presenting “Full STEAM Ahead in Early Childhood” this weekend. Since you can’t come to the workshop, I’ll share a few ideas that might add a little STE(A)M to your classroom.

Engineering is the design process used to solve problems and build things. Children are natural engineers as they play with blocks and Legos, create things in art, or build a fort outside with their friends. Here are a few other activities that will give your little “engineers” a job.

Engineer Planning Book

Write “Engineer Planning Book” on the cover of the notebook. Explain that engineers draw a plan and then try to build their design. Place the book in the block center along with a pencil and encourage children to draw their idea and then try to build it.
                
Cups and Plates
Little guys to big kids will be challenged to build structures with simple materials like plates and cups.
                                     
Lunch Bag City
Buildings and houses from lunch bags are fun to construct and use to create a community, reproduce a scene from a book, or design a city of the future. Take 2 lunch bags and open them up. Fill one with crushed newspaper. Insert the second bag on top and then decorate with markers, construction paper scraps, etc.