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Explorations In Engineering 2012
Shodor > SUCCEED > Workshops > Archive > Explorations In Engineering 2012

Today, the Explorations in Engineering workshop started off with introductions that got the students on their feet and literally dancing! Alexandra had each student say their name and do a dance move or sports move that the whole group had to recreate. After this, she launched into a segment of "How do you know?" where the students learned about patterns and recognition, thinking computationally, and using conventions. They raced to find the boiling point of radium, learning in the process that the internet is not made up of entirely accurate information and that they will need to judge data to decide what is useful.

Immediately after the break, Alexandra led them through different models to show how models are helpful in science and especially in engineering. James then discussed with the students what the different types of engineering are. They spent some time looking at a NASA applet where they could model lift by changing angles and shapes. The students used these computer simulations to create a physical model that was close to the critical angle. Students worked in pairs and had fun trying to create the best model.