Quest 7 – The nature of engineering
- 1,002,456 Views
- 43,842 Questions Answered
- Earth School
Let’s Begin…
Engineering uses knowledge about how things work to meet peoples’ needs. By harnessing materials, data and DNA, engineers can help bring water, energy and other resources where they’re needed. Sometimes this harms the environment, so experts are urgently testing nature-friendly ways of engineering, like educator Congrui Jin in our first video. After you watch, continue onto other sections to learn more, interact, act and share.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Before you dive into the rest of this Quest, check out these videos for more information about engineering and about how you can learn to use science to help the planet:
Watch 1: What is an Engineer? (Crash Course Kids)
Watch 2: Environmental Engineering: a Crash Course for Kids (PBS)
Watch 3: Youth Inspiring a Better World (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology)
Watch 4: Code Stars (Code.org)
LEARN + INTERACT
See real-life examples of how nature inspired engineering with these videos: How burrs inspired Velcro (PBS Kids) and how a butterfly’s wing transformed solar panels (Seeker+ Science Channel) (for all ages)
Be amazed at this environmental engineering project from Precious Plastic that transforms plastic waste into valuable products. (for all ages)
Build a water filter with NASA using materials around your home. You’ll follow the same design process used by engineers and scientists for the International Space Station orbiting Earth (NASA JPL, for ages 10+)
ACT + SHARE
Flex your engineering muscles with some building exercises. Construct a bridge out of glue and toothpicks or pencils and elastics and compete with your siblings and friends to see whose creation can carry the most weight. (for ages 8+)
Construct a catapult with house-hold materials. How far can you shoot? How accurately? Record a video of one of your launches and share using #EarthSchool. (for ages 10+)
Engineer a way to do the impossible: drop an egg without breaking it! Use recycled materials from around your house, tape, and some iterative design. (for ages 7+)
WANT MORE?
Watch: Real-life examples of the lessons in today’s Quest in the film Dream Big Engineering Our World (IMAX). (for all ages)
Learn: Alex Gendler’s TED-Ed Lesson on how the world's longest underwater tunnel was built. (for ages 10+)
Investigate how engineers get inspiration from the environment, with Director James Cameron on his mission to the bottom of the ocean. In this video, we’ll follow an engineering process to design an underwater vehicle that can withstand extreme heat and cold. (for ages 11+)
Join a community of kid coders. Learn kid-friendly programming language Scratch and participate in the global network of free coding clubs for 9- to 13-year-olds, by programming your own animations and video games. Head over to Code Club Pro or to Code.org to begin your journey. (for ages 9-13)
Build an understanding of computer programming fundamentals with Barefoot Computing’s activities for future coders. (for ages 6-10)
Understand how sometimes in environmental engineering the solutions create new problems as this short video about the benefits and challenges of large dams is explored in this video about a dam construction project. (for ages 8+)
Resources for Parents and Educators: Learn why you should teach your kids to code with computer scientist and educator Dr. Bryson Payne. Explore additional online resources for STEM with Engineers of Tomorrow.
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Jason Switzer, SaiAnirudh Grandhi and Alison Lowndes.
Watch 1: What is an Engineer? (Crash Course Kids)
Watch 2: Environmental Engineering: a Crash Course for Kids (PBS)
Watch 3: Youth Inspiring a Better World (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology)
Watch 4: Code Stars (Code.org)
LEARN + INTERACT
See real-life examples of how nature inspired engineering with these videos: How burrs inspired Velcro (PBS Kids) and how a butterfly’s wing transformed solar panels (Seeker+ Science Channel) (for all ages)
Be amazed at this environmental engineering project from Precious Plastic that transforms plastic waste into valuable products. (for all ages)
Build a water filter with NASA using materials around your home. You’ll follow the same design process used by engineers and scientists for the International Space Station orbiting Earth (NASA JPL, for ages 10+)
ACT + SHARE
Flex your engineering muscles with some building exercises. Construct a bridge out of glue and toothpicks or pencils and elastics and compete with your siblings and friends to see whose creation can carry the most weight. (for ages 8+)
Construct a catapult with house-hold materials. How far can you shoot? How accurately? Record a video of one of your launches and share using #EarthSchool. (for ages 10+)
Engineer a way to do the impossible: drop an egg without breaking it! Use recycled materials from around your house, tape, and some iterative design. (for ages 7+)
WANT MORE?
Watch: Real-life examples of the lessons in today’s Quest in the film Dream Big Engineering Our World (IMAX). (for all ages)
Learn: Alex Gendler’s TED-Ed Lesson on how the world's longest underwater tunnel was built. (for ages 10+)
Investigate how engineers get inspiration from the environment, with Director James Cameron on his mission to the bottom of the ocean. In this video, we’ll follow an engineering process to design an underwater vehicle that can withstand extreme heat and cold. (for ages 11+)
Join a community of kid coders. Learn kid-friendly programming language Scratch and participate in the global network of free coding clubs for 9- to 13-year-olds, by programming your own animations and video games. Head over to Code Club Pro or to Code.org to begin your journey. (for ages 9-13)
Build an understanding of computer programming fundamentals with Barefoot Computing’s activities for future coders. (for ages 6-10)
Understand how sometimes in environmental engineering the solutions create new problems as this short video about the benefits and challenges of large dams is explored in this video about a dam construction project. (for ages 8+)
Resources for Parents and Educators: Learn why you should teach your kids to code with computer scientist and educator Dr. Bryson Payne. Explore additional online resources for STEM with Engineers of Tomorrow.
This Earth School Quest was created by the following incredible educators and environmental experts: Jason Switzer, SaiAnirudh Grandhi and Alison Lowndes.
We look forward to seeing your Quest in action!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team and students by using #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Society and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe – later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Document your Quests— take photos of the experiments, activities, drawings, and writing prompts you tried— and share your journey with the Earth School team and students by using #EarthSchool. We'll feature some of your photos and stories on our social channels, hopefully encouraging others to join the cause!
Explore additional creative activities (for all ages!) from the Nature of Society and save images of your work from each Quest in Littlescribe – later you can create an original card, book, magazine or calendar to bring your adventures to life!
Create and share a new lesson based on this one.
