Engineers are NOT Nerds at PBS Design Squad
March 4, 2010
Apropos to the recent Random Roundup: PBS published here on Instructify, here’s another gem from PBS – PBS Design Squad. This extensive website offers many options for a teacher aspiring to integrate more STEM into his or her classroom.
The website is based on a PBS program called Design Squad. On the show, two teams of college-aged students compete in various design and engineering challenges. You can watch episodes online. I think these videos would be a great way to engage your students. Each team includes racially diverse young men and women, which will help your students see that engineers aren’t just a bunch of pasty nerds with pocket protectors.
After you’ve engaged your kids with an episode, there is an extensive section for parents and educators with tons of ideas on how to use the episodes to extend learning. There are downloadable activities complete with instructions on how to build various things such as rubber-band cars and circuits. As expected from a place like PBS, there is also a detailed Educator’s Guide (we teachers love us a good educator’s guide!). The Educator’s Guide actually puts the activities into little units aligned with content standards.
Another great feature of this website is the DS Exchange. This portion of the website encourages student creativity and experimentation. You can “Make a Wish” about an invention you’d like to see in the real world. Other users of the site can see those wishes and in turn can make “Sketches” in which they draw and submit their design to meet the wish. Then, users are encouraged to make their sketches a reality and submit their results to the website. For students lacking inspiration, there is a weekly challenge posted by Design Squad to get those creative juices flowing.
All in all, this website seems to offer a lot of what teachers look for — engaging scenarios in the videos, activities, educator’s guides, and a place for students to express creativity and engage in inquiry. I always thought engineers were a little on the nerdy side, but after looking at this website, I’m thinking maybe I missed out. Hopefully, after you share it with your students, they will be inspired as well!
