No matter the subject or grade, giving students engineering design process challenges encourages creativity, communication, innovation, and collaboration. In Designing the Future, author Ann Kaiser outlines how to enhance -- not increase -- what you are already teaching by implementing the engineering design process. Throughout the book, you will find more than 25 easy-entry, low-risk activities and projects you can begin incorporating into existing classwork.

Use the engineering design process for students to transform creative and critical-thinking classroom activities:

• Explore the engineering design process (EDP) and unpack its stages: problem definition, research, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and optimizing.
• Understand how incorporating engineering for students creates a project-based learning environment that encourages essential 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, and critical thinking.
• Empower students to embrace the fundamentals of engineering design thinking, including: there is always more to learn, your solution will create problems, and there is no one right answer.
• Learn how to develop and adapt engineering design process projects for various grade levels and disciplines.
• Receive reflection tools that will empower you to revise and re-engineer activities and projects.
• Incorporate elements of engineering and STEAM education lesson plans into your current classroom content.

Contents:
Introduction

Part I
Chapter 1: Building an Engineering Design Culture
Chapter 2: Deconstructing the Engineering Design Process
Chapter 3: Designing Projects

Part II
Chapter 4: Starting With Activities That Support Engineering Thinking and Skills
Chapter 5: Introducing Projects for Elementary School
Chapter 6: Introducing Projects for Middle and High School

Part III
Chapter 7: Reflecting On, Revising, and Optimizing Your Curriculum

Epilogue
Appendix A: Action Plan Summary
Appendix B: Challenge Creation
Appendix C: Engineering Notebook Forms
References and Resources
Index