Engineering
K E Y V OC A B U LA RY
WEL COME, EDUCATO R !
analyzing: considering
information gathered during
an experiment
You and the children you work with are about to embark on an engaging
multimedia experience exploring concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math (STEM). Sesame Street Little Discoverers: Big Fun with Science, Math,
and More is a resource to help you discover exciting new ways to build on children’s
natural fascination with STEM concepts.
building/constructing:
making or forming something
by putting parts together
design: to think of a plan
for something to build
engineering: planning and
building something to solve
a problem
In this topic, children will learn about engineering.
HELP CHILDREN TALK ABOUT ENGINEERING:
»
Engineering is the process of planning, building, or constructing something
for a particular purpose or to find a solution to a problem. For example, “How can
we build a bridge to get people across the river?”
investigating: gathering
information by observing
or testing
» Engineers create a plan or design before they begin building.
observing: using our senses
to gather information
» Engineers test their designs and redesign, or modify along the way.
» Engineers also think about the properties of the materials they use. For example,
“What will be a strong material for our bridge?”
planning: figuring out a
way to do something before
actually doing it
problem: a question that needs
to be answered or solved
purpose: the reason why
something is done
redesign: to change
a plan based on what
has been learned
reflecting: considering
observations about
the experiment
reporting: telling others
about the experiment
solution: the answer to
a problem
For more fun ideas, videos, and games, check out sesamestreet.org/STEM
on your computer or mobile device.
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 1
E NGIN EERIN G
Designing a Bridge
G OA L
WAT CH “MUR R AY EXP ER I MENT: BR I DG ES”
Explore how shape affects
the strength of a structure.
In the video, Murray and his friends want to create bridges that can hold weight.
They fold pieces of paper to create different bridge designs. Then they test
each design to see how much weight it will hold. They discover that some shapes
make stronger bridges.
QU E S T I ON
Which shape makes the
strongest bridge: a cylinder,
a triangular tube,
or a rectangular tube?
L ET ’ S TA L K ABO UT I T
After you watch the video together, ask some questions to prompt a discussion.
»
“How did Murray and the children use materials to build a bridge?”
TIME
»
“Why is it important for a bridge to hold a lot of weight?”
20–30 minutes
»
“Which bridge design held the most weight?”
M AT E R I A L S
L ET ' S DO AN ACTI V I TY:
For each small group
of children:
»
9 sheets of construction
paper
»
2 large rectangular blocks
or 2 stacks of books
»
tape
»
paper or plastic cup
»
several items to add
weight to the bridges,
such as counting
bears, small toy cars,
or large washers
»
View and Do chart
»
crayons
1.
Introduce the activity: “We are going to be engineers and design three different
bridges. Let’s see which bridge is the strongest.”
2.
Roll two pieces of construction paper into two long cylinders, and use tape
to keep them from unrolling.
3.
Have children place the cylinders next to each other on top of the blocks or
stacks of books to form a bridge. You may need to tape the cylinders together
so they don’t roll off. Place another sheet of construction paper flat on top
of the cylinders as a “roadway” to complete your bridge.
4.
Have a child put the cup on top of the construction-paper roadway.
5.
Say, “Let’s test our bridge design to see how strong it is.” Have children carefully
place items one by one into the cup while you count together how many items it
takes before the bridge collapses or falls apart.
6.
Help each group record the number of items on the View and Do Chart.
7.
Repeat the experiment with the triangular tubes and again for the
rectangular tubes.
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 2
E NGIN EERIN G
Designing a Bridge
Have children draw or list the number of items each bridge design held before it collapsed.
Bridge Design
Number of Items it Held
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 3
E NGIN EERIN G
Building Towers
G OA L
Engage in the engineering
process of building models to
test which materials will be
best for a job.
QU E S T I ON
How does a tower made from
paper towel tubes compare to a
tower made from plastic cups?
TIME
20–30 minutes
M AT E R I A L S
For the whole group:
»
5–10 paper towel tubes
(note: if you don’t have paper
towel tubes, try using blocks
or empty cereal boxes)
»
5–10 plastic cups
»
tape
»
Activity Chart (one per child)
»
crayons
For the teacher:
»
rulers
In this activity, children will investigate how using
different materials can affect what they build.
S T EPS
1.
Pose the problem, “Some engineers are building
a tower. They are deciding whether to use cylinders or
cups. Engineers make smaller models to test their designs.
We need to make a small model with the paper towel tubes and
cups to see which material will help us make the tallest tower.”
2.
Give children a few minutes to observe and describe the paper towel tube and
the plastic cup. They might notice that the paper towel tube is taller, and therefore it
might make a taller tower. Or they might notice that a cup stands well on its
own and a paper towel tube falls over more easily, and therefore the cup might
make a taller tower.
3.
Provide each group with the paper towel tubes and some strips of masking tape.
Give them 5 minutes to build the tallest tower they can.
4.
Have children draw the tower on the Activity Chart. Help them measure the tower
with a ruler, and have them write the height of the tower on the chart.
5.
Repeat the activity using the cups instead of the paper towel tubes.
6.
After the charts are filled out, discuss your data as a group. “Which worked better
to engineer a tall tower—paper towel tubes or cups?” "Why do you think so?"
“Can you think of a different material that might make an even taller tower?”
Remember, there is no “correct” answer. What's important is that engineers test
their designs through models before they build them.
T U BE EX PLO R ATI O N
Challenge children to engineer or design and create something out of a cardboard
tube. For example, they may decide to engineer a car that they can play with.
Help them think about other materials they may need: spools for wheels, clothes
pins and feathers for decoration.
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 4
E NGIN EERIN G
Building Towers
Have children draw their towers and help them label the materials they used.
Paper towel tube tower
Cup tower
Height
Height
inches tall
inches tall
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 5
Engineering
Sesame Street Little
Discoverers: Big Fun with
Science, Math, and More is
a resource to help you and
your child explore STEM.
Remember, it's okay to not
know the answers to all of her
questions. Model a sense of
curiosity by saying something
like, "That's a great question!
I don't know the answer
but let's find out together."
H E L LO, FA M I L I E S !
Your child is full of curiosity. She is always observing, questioning, testing her
thinking, and collecting information. These are important critical thinking and problem
solving skills that help set her up for success in Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math (STEM).
H EL P Y OUR CHI LD TALK ABO UT ENG I NEER I NG
»
Engineering is the process of planning, building, or constructing something.
»
Engineers plan, build, or construct for a particular purpose or to find a solution to
a problem (How can we build a bridge to get people across the river?).
»
Engineers create a plan or design before they begin a project.
»
Engineers also think about the properties of the materials they use (What will be
a strong material for our bridge?).
»
Engineers test their design and then they redesign, or make changes, along the way.
T RY T H IS AT HO ME
Pick and choose the activities that work best for you and your child.
Let’s Talk. Use engineering words as many times as you can this week! Say things
like, “Can you engineer that block tower to be taller than the chair?” or “I wonder
if blankets and boxes will be good materials to use to build a fort that you can crawl
into.” Give a high-five anytime someone in the family uses engineering words.
Design a Fort. Help set up a problem to solve by asking, “What materials in our house
could we use to build a fort we can crawl inside?” Encourage your child to design and
build an indoor fort using pillows, chairs, and blankets.
Build a City. Collect all kinds of materials from your house, like empty plastic
bottles, egg cartons, popsicle sticks, and empty cereal boxes to engineer a “city” on top
of a flattened cardboard box. Draw on the box to make roads, and glue or tape
the materials on to create buildings, houses, and parks.
For more fun ideas, videos, and games, check out sesamestreet.org/STEM
on your computer or mobile device.
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 6
E NGIN EERIN G
Time to Engineer!
T U B E E X P L O R AT ION
WAT CH "BUI LDI NG A DO G HO USE"
Encourage your child to
engineer a structure using
paper towel tubes to solve
a problem. For example,
a bridge that small toy
animals can use to cross
over an imaginary puddle.
Challenge her to think of
different ways to design the
bridge. Will she need more
than one tube? Will she
need to change the shape
of the tube (squashing it so
that it is flat)?
In the video, a girl and her father decide to make a doghouse so their dog will
have a place to sleep. First they create a design, and then they build the house
together. Engineers build something to solve a problem, and you and your child can
be engineers too!
ACT IVIT Y
Help your child engineer a structure for a special object such as stuffed animal
or toy car.
M AT ERIA L S
» blocks
» Activity Chart
» crayons
» stuffed animal or toy car
S T EPS
1.
With your child, pick an object that he would like to build a structure for, such as
a favorite stuffed animal.
2.
Together talk about what kind of structure he could build, such as a house.
Then, think of any special characteristics to keep in mind when designing
the structure. For instance, how tall or wide the structure should be so that the
stuffed animal can fit inside.
3.
Help your child draw a picture of his plan using the Activity Chart, and talk about
his design, such as what size blocks he needs to build his structure.
4.
Build the structure and see what happens!
5.
After you have built your structure, talk to your child about it. What shape is
the structure? How did he build the foundation? How many blocks were used?
Then, look at the drawing and see if it matches his plan. Would he make
any changes?
For more fun ideas, videos, and games, check out sesamestreet.org/STEM
on your computer or mobile device.
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 7
E NGIN EERIN G
Time to Engineer!
Have your child draw her design in the box below.
Major support provided by CA Technologies. Generous support provided by
the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
S E SA M E ST R E E T.O R G / ST EM
©/TM 2013 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved. Page 8