Innovation and Design: Using Books to Introduce Engineering-Based Thinking

Engineering design-based learning entered the discourse of science education with the release of the "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS Lead States 2013). Since that time there has been a focused effort to embed engineering design and engineering-based thinking in elementary school experiences. As thinking like an engineer is central to design-based learning, both the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) recommend that educators use "stories that dramatize the rich legacy of engineering achievements" to "bring the experience of engineering to life" (NAE 2008, p.44). The authors have found that using books to reverse-engineer the processes by which engineers solve problems can help implement these recommendations and embed engineering-based thinking as a cross-curricular activity in elementary classrooms. By encountering the engineering design process through well-chosen trade books and biographies, students can experience how actual inventors and engineers have used the design process and engineering-based thinking to solve important problems and create new technologies.