eGFI logo for teacher newsletter
May 2020

Take a Spin into Engineering! 
bmx bike in Alaska joint base Elmendorf
T
King BMX Stunt Show. Credit U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Vernon Cunningham

Bicycle technology has advanced well beyond the high-wheelers that debuted in the late 1800s. Today's rides feature tires, shock absorbers, and other engineered marvels that enable BMX tricks in Alaska (image, above) or custom-fit a woman's frame. Your mechanical engineers will soar into high gear doing this month's activity marking National Bike Month. See who pops a wheelie! 
Activity: Wheeling It In


Students in grades 3 to 5 use everyday materials such as water bottles and straws to design and build small-scale transportation devices that incorporate two simple machines - a wheel and axle, and a lever. They race their vehicles, measuring distance, time, and weight, and then calculate speed.   

RELATED LESSONS  
Give Me a Brake!  (Grades 3-6)                                        Pedal Power   (Grades 3-8)  Great for girls!
What Are Gears? (Grades 4-8)
Put a Lid On It (Grades 6-8) Informal STEM activity from the Museum of Science, Boston
Buid a Bike Helmet (Grades 9-12)      

MORE LESSONS:
Grades K-5   |   Grades 6-8   |   Grades 9-12
 
 

From sturdier mountain-bike suspension systems to cooler helmets, there's a lot of engineering in today's high-performance bicycles. Meet some of the engineers whose research and designs are improving your ride! 
  
Learn More.     


RELATED FEATURES:    

A Bike for Leah
 
      
NSF STEM for All Showcase 2020

Multimedia design challenges based on storybooks and how engineers fight inequality are among some 170 short videos in the National Science Foundation's online show case of federally funded STEM and computer science education projects. Post comments and vote for your favorite presentations through  May 12. 

Note: Some entries include links to free curriculum. 


To help teachers and families while schools remain closed during the pandemic, ASEE's P-12 Committee and other engineering educators are posting daily design challenges, hosting online teacher meet-ups, and coming up with creative ways to engage students remotely.


Extra Credit: Does handwashing work? Join "How to Fight Microscopic Beasts," a citizen science project, and contribute your research results. Includes a free microbiology and disease course for students 8 years old and up..

Announcements

New! Regeneron ISEF Virtual Fair. -- Celebrate science and engineering at the Society for Science & the Public's first online global STEM fair on May  18-22.  Learn more.

NASA's STEM Teaching Tips. -- Four ideas for keeping it real at home from the STEM Engagement & Educator Professional Development Network at Texas State University.  Learn more.

Publish Your K-2 Curriculum. -- TeachEngineering's digital library seeks to add more NGSS-aligned K-2 activities.Thorough proposals will receive $25 Amazon gift cards; those accepted for publication get $500. Learn more.

New!  Teacher Engineering Education Program. -- Tufts University's 16-credit online graduate course   engages STEM educators in hands-on projects and pedagogical exercises designed to help them inspire the next generation of innovators .   Learn more.

Knowles Academy Summer Courses. --  Top quality teacher training on designing instruction to engage STEM students via engineering, teamwork, and other techniques. Funding available on first-come, first-served basis, reducing costs to $100.   Learn more.

STEM Careers. -- Show students what engineers do with Discovering You: Engineering Your World, a new video series from NBCLearn, Chevron, and ASEE.  Learn more.
 
Get the Math! -- WNET Channel 13 helps middle and high school students develop algebraic thinking skills through reality-TV-style videos and challenges.  Learn more.

Next Gen STEM. -- TeachEngineering offers a free, searchable library of hundreds of activities aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.  Learn more.
 
LinkEngineering. -- The National Science Foundation-sponsored online community of practice offers tips, mentors, and other teaching and learning resources.  Learn more.
 
Explore Our Site: Helpful Links for Teachers

Cynthia Breazeal Wants You to Make Friends with RobotsJetman: Flying Soon to a Landmark Near YouUnderwater Scooters are the New SCUBAEbone Pierce - Mechanical Engineering StudentTurning Air into WaterVertical Forest Coming Soon to Milan
bullet Prepare your students for engineering school with these 10 Essential Steps.
bullet Change your students' perceptions of engineering students.
bullet Introduce your students to young engineers who are already making a difference in the world.
bullet Stay up-to-date with cool engineering innovations.
bullet Find out about the engineering design process.
bullet Learn about the different types of engineering.
bullet Read excerpts of our latest magazine or full issues of earlier editions online.
bullet Check out all the items in our
bullet Explore lesson plans and class activities.
bullet View our archive of past newsletters.

   

ASEE egfi magazine 6th edition
Filled with engaging features, gorgeous graphics, and useful information about engineering colleges and careers, the latest edition of ASEE's award-winning Engineering, Go For It magazine is sure to get middle and high school students excited about learning - and doing - engineering! 


Perfect for K-12 outreach events and college fairs!
    
Price: $6.95      Discounts available.    Order your copies today!   


About the eGFI Teachers' Newsletter
 
Delivered each month to your email inbox, our newsletter is packed with lesson plans and activities , resources , feature stories , and the latest developments in K-12 engineering education . eGFI is part of the American Society for Engineering Education ( ASEE ), a non-profit organization committed to enhancing efforts to improve STEM and engineering education.   

  © American Society for Engineering Education 
1818 N Street, N.W., Suite 600
Washington, DC, District of Columbia 20036