As we prepare students to be innovators in the world, they will need to know how to communicate design ideas effectively. Even in the age of digital design, 2D drawings are still useful in communicating design ideas and details. Knowing how to create a 3D object from a 2D drawing (3D visualization) is a critical skill. Most individuals recognize its usefulness when following illustrated assembly instructions for furniture and other structures. Engineers, architects, tradesmen, and others use 2D technical drawings to communicate how different parts of an object look and how they go together.  Doctors use flat x-ray images to determine the severity and direction of bone breaks. Clothing designers, landscapers, and even game developers use 2D drawings when communicating designs in their work environments.In this lesson, students will explore technical drawing terminology and build 3D structures by interpreting 2D diagrams.

How scientists and engineers follow similar methods to obtain their results. Scientists study how nature works, engineers create new things or products. When performing experiments  both disciplines sometimes use the other method to complete their work

Lesson length: 2-4 hoursGrade level: 6-8Students build models of four different biomes: forest, tundra, grasslands, and dessert. Student groups build a biome and then model climate and weather in the biome, as well as the impacts of human development and engineering mitigations in the biome.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1657263. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Lesson length: 1-2 hoursGrade level: 6-8Students practice using the scientific method as they engineer methods to fix damaged mountain roads. Using engineering design thinking, students assess the problem(s), develop strategies for addressing them, budget for repairs, and create and test prototype solutions.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1657263. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.