Discovery Education and Partners Offer Educators and Students Nationwide New Resources Supporting Engineers Week 2024 Activities
Discovery Education and its content partners offer educators and students nationwide a new collection of engaging digital learning resources supporting Engineers Week activities. Established in 1951, Engineers Week immerses students in the future of engineering and helps create pathways for students seeking engineering careers. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform nurtures curiosity and supports learning wherever it takes place.
Occurring February 18-24 and focusing on the theme “Welcome to the Future,” Engineers Week nurtures student’s curiosity in engineering while showing how engineering changes the world. To support this theme, Discovery Education provides educators, students, and families with a new collection of resources that can be used in any learning environment. The following resources are available for users of the award-winning Discovery Education Experience K-12 learning platform:
· In a new DE Original, students in grades PK-5 discover the engineering behind the popular Three Little Pigsstory and learn how the pigs’ discoveries can be applied to real-life engineering situations.
· The National Science Foundation: Profiles of Scientists and Engineers channel introduces students to the next generation of engineers and scientists in video profiles of young professionals in the engineering and science fields.
· The Inventors and Innovators channel features prominent figures in history whose engineering have changed the world. From Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers to Hedy Lamarr and George Washington Carver and many more, students learn about incredible feats of engineering and science.
In addition, for users of the award-winning Mystery Science service, the Engineering Collection offers open-and-go lessons that inspire students to love science and explore engineering. Mystery Science is an engaging standards-aligned science curriculum for grades K-5 designed to help students stay curious. In this collection of 45-minute engineering lessons, Mystery Guides lead no prep, open-and-go lessons with step-by-step hands-on activities exploring scientific phenomena using common classroom items.
“Having access to Discovery Education is like having a series of keys to an educational vault. Each activity provides engaging lessons that provide a wealth of information and accessibility for all students,” said Keith Fursetenberg, an educator in Georgia.
Among the free resources created in collaboration with leading corporate partners are:
Career Exploration Tools
· The STEM Careers Coalition™ offers a curated collection of career profile videos spotlighting engineering professionals in STEM. Students can easily make the connection between classrooms and careers with the videos and accompanying lessons, activities, and hands-on student activations.
Virtual Field Trips
· The Reach for the Sky Virtual Reality experience from Reach for the Sky – designed with Edge at Hudson Yards – is a one-of-a-kind experience in which students can control their journey and interact with their environment as they explore learning hotspots, visit a weather observation station, and take flight with a drone through the New York City skyline.
· The virtual field trip with Trane Technologies as part of the Sustainable Futures program gives students a unique, up-close look at how employees across that company are using engineering and other disciplines to create comfortable, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for homes, buildings, and transportation.
· The Science & Behavior of Safe Driving: It Takes All of Us Virtual Field Trip helps students learn about safe driving as they visit Honda’s one-of-a-kind Automotive Safety Research Facility in Raymond, Ohio and the Driving Simulation Laboratory at The Ohio State University to see the safety and engineering behind vehicle design. This virtual field trip is from Honda Safety Driven, a new national safety program and education initiative empowering students nationwide to use safe driving skills as a roadmap to become responsible decision-makers.
Student Activities and Challenges
· As the nation’s premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” Each year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge recognizes the grand prize winner, 10 finalists, four honorable mentions, and up to 51 state merit winners – nationwide and in Washington D.C. – who have demonstrated a passion for using science to solve everyday problems and improve the world around them. This year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge offers innovative ways for students to engage in science and engineering through new entry topics, including Robotics, Home Improvement, Automotive, Safety, AR/VR, and Climate Tech. Competition entries are accepted until the deadline on May 2, 2024.
· With Science Fair Central – a program with The Home Depot® – educators and families discover over 100 science and engineering project starters, student planning guides, judging tools, and hands-on activities that help educators connect STEM learnings. The resources challenge students to design a device using magnetism to fish trash from local waterways, use characteristics of an armadillo’s shell to create an architectural design solution, build catapults and trebuchets for a physics class mini-challenge, experiment with materials to insulate and cool a beverage, and more.
“Nurturing student curiosity is the first step to learning. With these free resources, teachers can encourage students to think about the engineering in the world around them, and how they might use engineering to create a better future,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Discovery Education.
