STEM Essentials- The Engineering Design Process

On the road to planning an effective STEM unit, we have:

Sketched out a plan defining the topic, choosing the applicable standards, and forming the challenge
Created assessments, both formative and summative
Developed a rubric as an end-of-project assessment
Provided STEM Role Cards to help students divide the work that will be done

Now, it is time to plan the individual lessons that will make up our STEM unit. In other words, we want to find a way for students to learn pieces of the selected curriculum standards that, when put together, will assist them in completing the challenge.

A great way to do this is to use the Engineering Design Process as you plan:

1. Identify the Problem- The problem should be clearly identified in your challenge statement when you began drafting your plan.

2. Identify Criteria and Constraints- This can take place when introducing the STEM project or it can be presented through lessons that allows students to use trial and error. After students have had a chance to explore, bring the class back together and determine, together, the criteria and constraints that should be used for the remainder of the project.

3. Brainstorm Possible Solutions- As students brainstorm their ideas, present a lesson or two that will teach some basics of your curriculum and help students come up with different ideas for their brainstorming web.

4. Select and Idea/Strategy- Once teams have selected their strategies, present a lesson or two that will teach more advanced concepts of your curriculum to help students further design and improve their solutions.

5. Build a Model or Prototype- When it is time for students to begin building their products, lessons can be introduced to help students design a test for their prototype if applicable, focusing on key components of your curriculum.

6. Refine and Improve- After students have built their models, some additional lessons can be shared involving the more advanced elements. Students can then decide to work them into their refined design if applicable.