Harry T. Roman’s Engineering Activities for the Classroom – Book 3: Engineering is now available from IEEE-USA as an audiobook. It is the third book in the Engineering Activities for the Classroom series; the previous two cover telecommunication and computers, and energy in our world. As with all the books in the series, Roman draws on his five decades as an engineering professional, and his extensive classroom experience — to give practical suggestions for teachers, parents, or grandparents to explore — “to get young students thinking about our incredible profession.”
The author separates the book into two main sections — activities for K-6, and activities for students in middle and high school. If you think that elementary grades are too early to set a child on the path of engineering, Roman would heartily disagree. “Don’t be afraid of engaging this young audience!” he urges. “They show lots of interest in what engineers do, how they do it, and the cool stuff they design and build.”
He suggests starting your exploration of engineering by introducing the young students to ancient engineers. Have the young minds ponder how the pyramids were built; introduce them to the Wonders of the Ancient World; or familiarize them with amazing engineering feats of the Roman Empire.
Roman then brings them forward in history, suggesting they learn the five American presidents who were engineers, or research how many astronauts were educated as engineers.
Some of the fun activities he suggests for this age are:
- Having the students research what an engineer is; and explain engineering to someone two grades below them
- Determine how engineers and architects are similar and different
- Create a crossword puzzle out of engineering terms
- Design a new entrance for the school
- Discover animals or insects often compared to engineers
Roman also recommends bringing a parent who works as an engineer to speak to the class; or, if no parents are engineers, inviting someone from a local business or college. He also recommends having students learn about five women engineers and what they accomplished (for ideas, see IEEE-USA’s Famous Women Engineers in History series).
For middle and high school teachers, Roman suggests asking the students to identify famous engineers from their states, then create a bulletin board of their accomplishments. In addition, teachers can have the students determine criteria for a State Inventors Hall of Fame, and ask for suggestions for initial inductees.
The list of potential activities is extensive; a few additional ones Roman suggests are to have students:
- Research CEOs who started as engineers; or engineers who started their own businesses
- Determine the starting salary for someone graduating with an undergraduate degree in engineering — and research the differences in salaries between the various fields of engineering
- Discuss if there are engineering fields they would not work in — such as designing missiles, bombs, or prisons
- Research engineering societies, and what services they offer their members — and if any offer student memberships
For the high school classroom, Roman lays out several engineering challenges for students to tackle in teams, such as:
- Design a residential solar-electric system for a home in the Boston, Massachusetts area. How would this differ from an installation in Dallas, Texas?
- Design a fix for a solar installation on a two-story school that is subject to vandalism (children throwing stones, and damaging the panels)
- Brainstorm ideas for repurposing ten old railroad boxcars
- Brainstorm how to repurpose a closed school with many empty classrooms — would they recommend living spaces, maker labs, a technology incubator, or another use?
- Develop ideas and systems for cleaning oil and hydrocarbon waste off city streets — before it finds its way into sewers
The audiobook, Engineering Activities for the Classroom – Book 3: Engineering, by Harry T. Roman is available to download for free at the IEEE-USA Shop, as well as the companion e-book (free for members).
Harry T. Roman holds 12 U.S. patents, and has received engineering, invention and teaching awards. He has produced numerous IEEE-USA E-Books on a variety of subjects, as well as an award-winning IEEE-USA E-Comic series on engineers using robots to solve real-world problems. Roman was honored as Inventor of the Year in 2005 by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame, for his application of robots in hazardous environments in utility work. IEEE has honored Roman with a Meritorious Achievement Award for developing continuing education products for IEEE members; and he received the IEEE Region 1 Excellence in Teaching award. Roman is also a docent/special lecturer at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park, in West Orange, New Jersey.
