Activity 1.5 Discover Engineering s2

Activity 1.6 Discover Engineering

Introduction

What is engineering? Many people have difficulty answering this question. In fact, engineering is a diverse field; there are many disciplines within engineering that can involve the application of a very different body of knowledge and skills. Nearly everything that is not “natural” (i.e., created by Mother Nature) most likely was designed and created with input from engineers. The shampoo you used this morning to wash your hair, the technology that cleans the water you drink, the buildings in which you live, work, and attend school, and the iPhone you use to communicate all involved the expertise of engineers in the initial design, building and testing, and final production.

All engineers are problems solvers. The differences among engineers in varying disciplines are dependent on the types of problems that they solve. In general there are four major disciplines within the engineering field: chemical, civil, electrical, and mechanical. Many other engineering disciplines are derived as an extension of or a specialization within one of these major disciplines. For example, environmental engineering is a subcategory of civil engineering. Other engineering disciplines have resulted from the combination of aspects of two or more of the major disciplines. Mechatronics is a relatively new branch of engineering that incorporates both mechanical and electrical engineering principles.

In this activity you will investigate the four major disciplines of engineering and consider their impact on you and the world.

© 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.6 Discover Engineering – Page 2

© 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.6 Discover Engineering – Page 2

Procedure: In your E.N., write the following in complete sentences. Don’t forget to title and date your new page. (5 points)

1.  What is engineering? Based on your current perception, in a few sentences define the term “engineering.” (10 points)

Now investigate the engineering profession. Some websites that may be helpful in your research:

·  Try Engineering www.tryengineering.org

·  Discover Engineering http://www.discovere.org/discover-engineering

·  Engineer Girl www.engineergirl.org

·  The Sloan Career Cornerstone Center www.careercornerstone.org

2.  Describe the four major disciplines of engineering and identify problems or projects that an engineer in each discipline might encounter. (12 points)

·  Chemical engineering-

·  Civil engineering-

·  Electrical engineering-

·  Mechanical engineering-

3.  Choose a discipline of engineering (other than chemical, civil, electrical, or mechanical) that is of interest to you. You will be creating a slide that will be a part of the class engineering overview presentation. Write your info in your engineering notebook as you find it in order to plan what you will enter in your slide.

(5 Points)You will need to title the slide with your chosen field.

(15 Points) Describe/define/explain this engineering field and

(15 points) future challenges for this field (you may want to look at “14 engineering grand challenges”)

(15 points) 3 specific job examples- no explaining unless the job title isn’t common.

(8 points) salary range *specify what the range means, for example starting-average –or- starting-maximum, etc.

(10 points) 2 graphics specific to your engineering type

(12 points) 3 colleges/universities that offer a degree for that type of engineering

(10 points) cite ALL of your sources *copy paste URL below graphic or after info*

(10 points) Your first and last name.

Create a Google slide to describe your chosen engineering discipline within your class period. BE CAREFUL TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT PERIOD!!!!!!!

© 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.6 Discover Engineering – Page 2

1st period: https://goo.gl/7AgA07

2nd period: https://goo.gl/7feMAZ

4th period: https://goo.gl/ImO8Yw

5th period: https://goo.gl/tBR3up

6th period: https://goo.gl/1QiqGW

7th period: https://goo.gl/J8DYv6

© 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.6 Discover Engineering – Page 2

Visit the National Academy of Engineering website on the Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century at http://www.greatachievements.org/. Choose one of the achievements listed and read the information provided about your selected achievement. Then, based on what you learn, respond to the following.

4.  Describe your selected achievement in complete sentences. (18 points)

5.  Which major discipline of engineering do you think was most involved in the development of this achievement? Justify your answer. (10 points)

Visit the National Academy of Engineering website on the Grand Engineering Challenges at http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/. Review your choice of an engineering discipline in item 3 and consider how an engineer within this discipline could contribute to the solution of one or more of the grand challenges.

6.  If you were an engineer within the discipline that you chose in item 3, which engineering grand challenge would you like to work on? (10 points)

7.  Describe your selected grand challenge. (10 points)

8.  Why is a solution to this challenge important to the world? (10 points)

Conclusion Questions (5 points each)

Q1. What is it about engineering that is common to all disciplines of engineering? That is, what makes an engineer an engineer regardless of the work one does?

Q2. Why do you think engineering has been called the stealth profession? (Hint: there are many Internet resources that address this question.)

Q3. How is an engineer different from a scientist?

Q4. What interpersonal characteristics do you think are important to the success of an engineer of any discipline?

© 2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.6 Discover Engineering – Page 2