Engineering, Grade 9-12

This grades 9-12 Engineering unit focuses on the inquiry question, “What makes for the best design?” This 18-class unit supports students’ engineering practices while developing their science reading skills. It empowers students to learn firsthand about Civil Engineering, with a focus on forces, materials, skyscrapers, and bridges. Students learn about Civil Engineering principles through hands-on lab activities and through investigations of real-world engineering failures. The unit supports NGSS Science and Engineering Practices including analyzing and interpreting data, designing solutions, and engaging in argument from evidence, and reinforces the importance of testing as part of the Engineering Design Process. The unit also makes use of the Reading Apprenticeship instructional framework and classroom routines including Think-Pair-Share, questioning, and identifying key/noteworthy ideas.