Introduce & Celebrate Engineering

What Do Engineers Do?

Engineers work through lots of processes to design and build complex systems and structures. Get your students engaged in the process with the free poster!

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Let your students get hands-on with engineering concepts using  ExploreLearning Gizmos, online math and science simulations for grades 3-12. Check out the Gizmos below that align with each poster section.

Engineers…

1.  Ask questions to define a problem or challenge 
   What happens if you drop a soccer ball off the Leaning Tower of Pisa? What about a watermelon? In the Free Fall Tower Gizmo, students put their questions to the test while monitoring the speed of objects.
2. Build models and prototypes 
   Let students design a model to simulate a dummy in a car collision using the Crumple Zones Gizmo. Students select different cars, crumple zone components, and speeds to measure the impact of each crash.
3. Test potential solutions 
   Launch objects over a castle using a catapult? Talk about student engagement! In the Trebuchet Gizmo, students test potential solutions by flinging objects with varying masses toward a target while adjusting the angles, counterweight, and payload to see different outcomes.
4. Analyze data and interpret results to identify points for improvement 
   In the Programmable Rover Gizmo, students instruct a rover to explore Mars using coding. Students must analyze their programming effectiveness and adapt coding as needed to complete all six missions on Mars.
5. Use digital tools and mathematical concepts to test and compare solutions 
   After using genetic engineering techniques to create insect-resistant corn plants, students practice comparing solutions as they study modified plants against controlled plants in the Genetic Engineering Gizmo.
6. Design, evaluate, and refine solutions 
   Students put their home design skills to the test as they use materials to withstand natural disasters in the Earthquake-Proof and Flood and Storm-Proof Homes Gizmos. Students must evaluate the effectiveness of their building designs after homes face the elements, and re-design to achieve the minimal amount of damage.
7. Defend designs with evidence and revise when necessary 
   Older learners connect gathered evidence in the Feel the Heat Gizmo as they create their own hot and cold packs while seeing exothermic and endothermic processes on display.
8. Communicate and compare design ideas and/or solutions 
   In the GMOs and the Environment Gizmo, students practice observing and summarizing the long-term effects of pollutants on a nearby stream ecosystem.