Novel Engineering

An Integrated approach to teaching Engineering and Literacy

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Overview
Novel Engineering

  • Inspired by kids and grounded in research, Novel Engineering is an innovative approach to integrate engineering and literacy in elementary and middle school.
  • Students use existing classroom literature – stories, novels, and expository texts – as the basis for engineering design challenges that help them identify problems, design realistic solutions, and engage in the Engineering Design Process while reinforcing their literacy skills.

Why you should do NE

What does NE look like?

Read a book and identify problems
Through discussion and attentive reading, students collect problems that characters face.

Scope problems and brainstorm solutions
Students consider the needs of the story’s character/client and the context/constraints imposed by the text as they brainstorm possible solutions.

Design a solution
Students work in teams to plan and build a functional prototype that addresses the character’s needs and constraints.