Engineering for Children

 Engineering

This photo was retrieved on February 12th, 2021, from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/anjali-joshi/teach-young-kids-engineering_a_23689969/. 

Today's blog post is all about engineering for children. What is engineering, you ask? Well, engineering is "A way of doing," inviting children to solve problems, use various materials to design, create and build things that work. Engineering is a process of solving problems. Engineers take steps to invent and create products or find solutions to the problems around them" (Faires, 2021, slide 4&5). Although you may believe, as parents, that engineering is meant for those who are much older, that is not the case. Teaching your child engineering, starting from a young age, can truly help them in their problem-solving skills while also sparking their curiosity and creative thinking. There are many ways in which you can provide engineering experiences for your child, including providing them with building blocks, lego, or even popsicle sticks, books with different structures, etc. These materials will allow your child to begin innovating, experimenting and building. 

An Engineering Challenge for Children 

This photo was retrieved on February 12th, 2021, from https://blog.giftedstudy.org/7-at-home-engineering-activities-for-children/

 If you are stuck in coming up with an engineering solution for your child, or if you have provided them with many building materials, but they have become bored using the same materials, I have decided to share an engineering challenge with you that will engage your child and spark their creativity and curiosity once more. This engineering challenge will engage your children in play while providing an excellent educational experience to learn about the engineering process steps. What are these engineering process steps that I speak of? Well, keep reading to find out!

The Challenge!

This photo displays the final result. 

The challenge I have for your child is this: Create a tower or a bridge, using plastic cups, popsicle sticks, straws, lego, toothpicks or even paper that reaches up to 30 centimetres high, that can hold a large amount of weight. In the example that I am providing, I have chosen to build a tower using plastic cups and a school textbook as the weighted object. 

Materials Needed

To make life simpler for you, here is a list of materials that your child will need to create a tower. Please note that there are various materials that your child can use; they do not have to use plastic cups. I am only stating the materials that I have used in creating my own tower. 

1. Plastic Cups: I have used 8oz plastic cups in this example; however, any type of plastic cup you have a large quantity of will work. 

         2. A Flat Surface 

   3. An object with weight: I have used a school textbook. However, a large number of marbles or even an apple will also do the trick. 

The Engineering Process Steps: 

This photo was retrieved on February 12th, 2021, from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/470063279837439544/. 

The engineering process steps are relatively easy to explain and even more comfortable to understand and follow. These steps are outlined to help children solve problems, construct, test multiple designs, draw their ideas and thoughts, share their thoughts and ideas with those around them and even dive into books to explore different ideas (Faires, 2021). The engineering process is so important as it allows children to walk through the innovation/building process, step by step, by researching, using their creativity and experimenting. For this challenge, this is what the engineering process looks like: 

Step #1: What is the problem? 

The problem for this challenge is evident. They need to find a way to create a tower that reaches at least 30 centimetres in height, and that will be sturdy enough to withstand the weight of a particular object without falling over. In this case, the weighted item is a textbook.

Step #2: Brainstorm Ideas

For this step in the engineering process, ask your child open-ended questions that will get them thinking about the different ways in which they could build their tower. "How many cups do you think it will take?" "How are you going to stack the cups?" "How tall are you going to make it?". These questions will allow your child to begin to brainstorm different ways in which to build their tower.  This is also a good time to give your child some inspiration through books or even pictures off the internet. This may inspire their creative minds and thinking to come up with their own unique idea. Remember, even though technology isn't best for children, sometimes, it can provide essential educational resources that can help your children in creative processes. When I did my challenge, I wrote down my thoughts and ideas to demonstrate my own thought process in creating this tower; however, writing it down is unnecessary and beneficial. 

Step #3: Design/Invent

This step allows your child to put his ideas on a page. Encourage your child to first draw the tower that illustrates how they will stack the cups and the number of cups on each tower level. This will help them to visualize what they are building before they actually begin the process. 

Step #4: Build/Create

This next step is the step that your child is probably most excited about. It's time to build! At this point in the engineering process, your child can begin to build their tower, following their design that they have planned in the previous step. This may prove to be a challenge for your child, depending on their chosen materials. 

Step #5: Test and Evaluate 

Now that their tower has been built, it is time to add the weight. For my own personal challenge, I placed the textbook directly on top of my tower. However, if your child has chosen to use marbles or even beads, they should put them a few at a time, monitoring the building as he/she increases the weight load. 

Step #6: Re-design/modify design

 

This step of the engineering process only needs to take place in two different instances. The first instance would be if the tower your child has built did not withhold the weight. If this is the case, your child should try again by re-designing their tower or modifying it to achieve success. The second instance would be if your child has succeeded the first time but wants to explore further to see if there is another tower that they can create (different shape, different number of cups etc.), that can withhold the weight. As a parent, I would encourage this exploration as it gets your child problem-solving and engaging in creative innovation. Since my tower, withheld the first time, I did not see the need to re-design due to a falling tower. However, I decided to modify my design to see if there was another way to build a tower to achieve the same results. However, it sadly didn't have the same result. 

Step #7: Share solution with others

The final engineering process step allows your child to communicate their results with their friends, family and those around them. This allows them to explain the steps they went through to problem-solve, innovate, and create a wonderful tower. This also allows them to learn about other ways to do this same challenge. Share this challenge with your child's friends! Have them do the same! I know it is difficult to get together right now due to Covid-19; however, maybe you can arrange a zoom call for your child and his friends where each can engage in this challenge, sharing their results with each other. This will help your child on so many levels! Sharing my results meant posting them here for you to enjoy and pass on to your child. What will your child create? 

What Is Your Child Learning By Doing This Challenge? 

This photo was retrieved on February 12th, 2021, from https://www.albertafilipinojournal.com/2018/03/16/how-does-high-school-education-in-alberta-help-your-children-become-an-engineer-like-you/. 

The learning opportunities that this challenge provides for your child are endless. According to Tamara Faires (2021), What is Engineering?,  Engineering "Introduces children to the idea that there are logical ways to solve a design problem" (slide 6). It allows children to develop their problem-solving skills through research, critical thinking, designing and experimentation. Problem-solving skills are essential for children, no matter the age. Problem-solving allows them to engage their critical thinking and imagination to create and learn. Without problem-solving skills, children will not be able to fully succeed in life. As you probably know, even now as an adult, you realized the problem-solving skills as a child, providing very useful even now. Secondly, this challenge allows your child to work together with their peers and those around them, while yes, you guessed it, problem-solving, creating and innovating. By working together with their peers, they can also develop those ever-important communication skills while forming friendships along the way. Thirdly, this challenge teaches your child that they are able to find solutions to problems by using their creativity and imagination. This will not only benefit your child during play but also once they enter the world of mathematics. Furthermore, while engaging in this challenge, children will begin to learn about stability, strength, and gravity. (Faires, 2021, slide 10). These learning aspects will come to play while they are building their tower. They will learn that creating a building that holds a large amount of weight needs to be sturdy and stable. They will also know that gravity pushes things downwards if their tower falls.  Lastly, through this challenge, your child will begin to understand the process that engineers go through to create different structures, allowing them to dive into the aspect of how they work. As you may be aware, "Children have a natural interest in the way that things work" (Faires, 2021, slide 6). By allowing your child to do this challenge, you provide them with a means of discovery, allowing them to dive into the world of towers, figuring out how engineers design, innovate, create, and build. 

References 

Faires, T. (2021). What is engineering? {Powerpoint Slides}. Algonquin College. https://brightspace.algonquincollege.com/d2l/le/content/315788/Home