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This reminds me of our engineering unit last semester where we designed grocery bags. We were given the problem and criteria and then we designed and tested a prototype to see if it met the criteria. I collaborated with peers to create the bag and I got to see how others thought about their design. I learned how creative and innovative students can be when they have the opportunity to create something with little instruction. I also learned how I can teach and instruct an engineering project in my own classroom.

-KP

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It is vital for children to know about engineering because it teaches creativity and team work skills, it’s an important career in society, and it can get students excited to learn about STEM topics.

There have been many times that I have designed a solution to a problem(Jerry-rigged something). My most helpful solution was using a hair-tie looped through my car air vent to use as a phone holder so I could attend a class that got moved online while commuting to campus. This taught me that with enough creativity there is always a way to make something work no matter how few materials available.

- E.W.

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I think it is important for children to know how engineering works because it shows how you have to work as a team. It also allows the children to be creative. I don't remember if I designed a solution to a problem in elementary school but in middle school I did. In middle school we made cars out of wood and you got to design them however you liked. When designing our wooden cars we learned it mattered about the mass of everything you add to the car.
-KP

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It is important for children to know how engineering works because it can build a relationship in the classroom. The process of engineering can give creativity and encourage children to work in a team. The younger they are to learn the techniques about building different experiments, the more knowledge they will have when they are older. In elementary school, I never had the chance to experience experimental design. I heard about different experiences like the egg-drop but never made one to experience it myself.

-J.R.

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I think it is important for children to know how engineering works because it is a way for children to express their creativity and imagination while learning at the same time. When I was in 5th grade, I had to do an egg drop project and the goal was to create something that my egg could sit in and be dropped without cracking. My project was successful and it took a lot of time and effort as well as creative thinking. By doing this project, I learned that you can learn a lot by using your imagination to create things.

-M.B

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Engineering can be a vessel for creative children in the real world. They can learn how to developed these skills and be exposed to the possibilities of a career in the engineering field. When you encounter a struggle in the real world, knowing how to go about solving the problem is important. The engineering experimental design can give students a head start. Being able to get yourself through struggles and do work for yourself such as fixing something is a helpful skill.
HH

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I think it is important for children to understand how engineering works. We are surrounded by engineering every single day and new things are constantly being created. It is important for children to understand how and why things are being created in order to understand the world around them. Understanding engineering can also branch their creativity as they grow older.
I have designed a simply solution to a potholes i once had. I was hanging up LED lights in my room that uses adhesive strips. This would rip the paint off my wall so I decided to use small command hooks to rest the lights on instead of sticking them straight on the wall. I learned that there are many solutions to problems that could create the same outcome.
EM

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It is important for children to understand how engineering works as our human-made world is a product of engineering. So, in order to understand the world, children need to understand how engineering works. Also, when children are introduced to engineering they begin to think more outside of the box in order to problem solve. These problem-solving skills are critical at a young age because they instill confidence and spark curiosity. Lastly, if children understand how engineering works and are taught engineering concepts all throughout school, they are more likely to pursue a STEM-related field. This is crucial as we always need people to engage in STEM and improve our world.

The last problem I faced was not having enough space in my bedroom to put my books and school materials. In order to solve this problem, my grandpa and I built a shelf to sit next to my desk. During this process, I learned how to use a level, a sander, and a table saw. These are skills that I can use throughout my life and I now feel more confident with tools and building things in general.

-KR

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Why does it matter children know how engineering works

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Why does it matter children know how engineering works

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I believe that it does matter if children know how engineering works so they can use it for their future. Is a crucial skill that children will need in their every day lives. yes, I have designed a solution to a problem in 10th grade. We had to drop an egg in a parachute and see if it will not break.  my solution was more paper towels, and a bigger parachute for the egg.  I learned that the egg will break if it does not have a support system underneath it.

MC

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It's very important for children to learn how engineering works. Engineering is a vital part of the society. Things are constantly being created and improved through new inventions. Understanding engineering can help with problem-solving skills, and understanding the way technology works. One thing I remember doing in elementary was an egg drop. The goal was to protect the egg from cracking. We had a bunch of different materials to use to create a plan to keep the egg in one piece. Thinking back at it in elementary in 5th and 6th grade we had a lot of these types of lessons and activities. We created a rocket so we can launch it. After learning I realized this all connects back to engineering. I honestly think these activities are what made me so interested in creating things and it all comes back to engineering.

-E.S

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Children should know how engineering works because it is topic that is not commonly taught to young children and with the world constantly changing and more advancements are coming into light it is important that children see the importance or need behind making a better change in a product or idea. The last design  that I created was a dog sled with my students during my student teaching. The goal was to build a sled that could carry enough cargo (pompom) and still go down a slope at a fast speed. This design was based off the Iditarod Dog Sled Race. While I was not successful in my attempts, but I did learn that the way each sled cargo holder was designed impacted how many pompoms could fit. Many of my students figured this out and beat my sled time.

SE

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Children should know how engineering works because it is very prominent in our society. Engineers are constantly creating new inventions or updating old inventions that we use in our everyday life, and it’s important for children to know who the people behind these creations are and to have an understanding of what they are doing. In a lab class, we had to design a way for an egg to not break when it is dropped. We had different materials such as styrofoam cups, newspaper, tape,  a ziplock bag, and other items to use as protection, and we had to create a contraption that would be enough to protect the egg from breaking. I learned from this experiment that when it comes to engineering, it is ok to make mistakes and change your initial design because you are learning more as you go on.

A.S.

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Children should know how engineering works because engineering is a very broad topic that plays a big role in our society. Engineers do so much to make sure everything works and create improvements for our technologies to make them as advanced as can be. I have designed a solution to the problem of plastic bags in class. We created a bag made of paper instead of plastic that was able to hold 7 bags of beans without breaking. I learned that with engineering, a person needs to be creative and flexible in changing their design if something does not go the way they thought it would.
-L.B.

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Children need to understand how engineering works because our society is constantly changing and engineers are always working and inventing new ideas or even items. It matters because it helps progress our problem solving skills, thinking and trying to improve our society. Developing these skills and educating themselves at an early age is very beneficial and will be with them throughout life.
MT