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"how engineers can use biomimicry to enhance their designs. They learn how careful observation of nature - in this case, reverse engineering a flower to glean design ideas - can lead to new innovations and products. "

"The engineering design process is a series of steps that engineering teams use to guide them as they solve problems. Anyone can do it! To determine how to build something (skyscraper, amusement park ride, bicycle, music player), engineers gather information and conduct research to understand the needs of the challenge to be addressed. Then they brainstorm many imaginative possible solutions. They select the most promising idea and embark upon a design that includes drawings, and analytical decisions on the materials and construction, manufacturing and fabrication technologies to use. They create and test many prototypes, making improvements until the product design is good enough to meet their needs. "

" there are a number of ways that teachers can bypass the system and offer students the tools and experiences that spur an innovative mindset. Here are ten ideas:"

"Discover the world of engineering for kids with our range of free games, cool science fair projects, fun experiments, interesting facts, amazing videos, quizzes, worksheets and more! Learn about bridges, buildings, electricity, flight and all kinds of interesting engineering topics. As well as activities for children, there are also lesson plans teachers, ideas for parents and free teaching resources for anyone interested in engineering and learning about science online."

"Mary Kies was the first American woman to earn a patent in her own name. In 1809, she developed a way of weaving straw into hats that was an economic boon for New England. By receiving that piece of paper with her name on it, Kies led the way for other female inventors to take credit for their ideas. In this article, we'll salute 10 things invented by women."

"I also chose mechanical engineering because it is a very broad major. Graduating with a MechE degree opens a variety of career paths. Relevant post-grad job topics include cars, airplanes, heating and cooling systems, manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, robots, medical devices and much more. I like the idea that I was leaving my options open by being a MechE. Last, it seems to me that with the technology advancements and global problems of today, mechanical engineers will be at the forefront of these solutions. I am not positive what I want to do when I graduate, but I am interested in alternative energy, especially wind technology. I like to think I am going to solve the world's energy problems."

A Sightseer's Guide to Engineering lists unique buildings, monuments, museums and structures by state so you can find one to visit that's close to home. And in the lower right side of their homepage, they also have a great menu that allows you to search by type of engineering (for example, mining, aerospace, computer, etc) and also by category -- under category, you can find museums, amusement parks and other locations that highlight engineering ideas.

Teacher Resources and Lesson Plans Find an array of environmental and science based lesson plans, activities and ideas below. "

"But Edison's greatest legacy may be as a founder of modern innovation, the process of turning an invention idea into a fully realized and patented commercial product. His early knack for entrepreneurial success gave him the wealth and investor backing to transform small inventor's workshops into the huge research-and-development laboratories of today. He even helped found U.S. military labs such as the Naval Research Laboratory."

"Demonstrating The Evolution of the Idea...and Beyond! The Museum of Interesting Things is a traveling interactive demonstration/exhibition of antiques and inventions inspiring innovation and creativity - learning from the past to create a better future."

Fail Small is a really important idea for everything related to science, technology and engineering - learning, innovation depend on failure as well as success.

Solar System Magnetism Demonstration -- Grades 5-8 The big idea of this demonstration is that the sun and Earth have different magnetic properties. Sunspots are related to magnetism on the sun. Earth has a strong simple magnetic field with two poles. The educator builds the magnetic fields using polystyrene spheres, strong magnets and staples. Then the participants make "field detectors" from simple objects to predict the locations of the fields.

"high school students - Green Your City. What's an idea using Science, Technology, Engineering or Math that can help green your city? Almost 90 high school students from around the country submitted entries, each answering the question in their own creative way. With over 2,500 YouTube "Like" votes and a combined 15,000 views of the 15 finalist videos,

""I want you to share my excitement at the discoveries, past and present, which have revolutionized the way we think. From the Big Bang to black holes, from dark matter to a possible Big Crunch, our image of the universe today is full of strange sounding ideas, and remarkable truths. The story of how we arrived at this picture is the story of learning to understand what we see." "

"One particular mountain on Mars, bigger than Colorado's grandest, has been beckoning would-be explorers since it was first sighted from orbit in the 1970s. Scientists have ideas about how it took shape in the middle of ancient Gale Crater and hopes for what evidence it could yield about whether conditions on Mars have favored life."

"Today scientists, mathematicians,and artists are embracing the idea of Fractals. Snowflakes are examples of fractals in nature. Fractals are patterns that are self similar within itself. The best way to understand Fractals is to actually create a fractal. Koch's Snowflake Curve is an example of a fractal. "

"Story Spine Teacher-Created Apptivity: It is always refreshing when I come across innovative and purposeful classroom integration ideas as the ones Ashley Solomon (8th grade ACL & Reading Workshop at Ed White Middle School) shared below using the app Story Spine:"

"Their machine is an adaptation of the box kite idea, with a propeller working on a perpendicular shaft to raise or lower the craft, and another working on a horizontal shaft to send it forward. The machine, it is said, can be raised or lowered with perfect control, and can carry a strong gasoline engine capable of making a speed of ten miles an hour. "

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea. "

"Some of the mathematics in Math Apprentice may seem advanced for its targeted age group, grades 4-7. That's ok. It's important for students to interact with math concepts beyond the standards. This is where the joy of math can often be found. The goals of this project are to connect math with real world careers, introduce students to more advanced mathematical ideas, and provide additional opportunities to apply math concepts they have already learned. "