Look Up! Educator Network

"Gumdrop bridges can be a fun way for young kids to learn about Engineers. You can not go an entire day without using something that a Civil Engineer has designed or had a part in. Civil Engineers disign treatment plants to clean the water you drink, they design roads, highways, and bridges."

"Engineering offers more career options than any other discipline. It's a profession that can take you from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space, from within the microscopic structures of the human cell to the top of the tallest skyscrapers. Whether it's cell phones, digital cameras, DVD's, or facial recognition devices that can pick out a terrorist in a crowded football stadium, engineers are behind almost all of today's exciting technology. Engineers are problem solvers who search for quicker, better, and less expensive ways to use the forces and materials of nature to meet today's challenges. Engineering students have their pick of many fields. From electrical to civil to aeronautical to biomedical, every discipline within engineering will lead to an exciting and rewarding career. In this activity, you will research one type of engineering"

"other resources and programs we have compiled for your use, including"

"Your goal is to build a bridge so that the workers can get the cargo from the other side of the valley. You have a limited budget for each level, so you'll need to plan ahead as you build! "

"PBL, "as a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups." The site contains a brief article, along with videos entitled "Projecty Based Learning Overview" and An Introduction To Project Based Learning. The Edutopia main PBL web page contains real life examples and this Big List containing article and blogs relating to PBL activities, lessons, practices, and research."

"Science Of Innovation - From Thomas Edison's light bulb to Wilbur and Orville Wright's flying machine, inventors and inventions transform the way we communicate, travel and live our daily lives--thanks to the creative process of innovation. That process is highlighted in this video series The Science of Innovation. In celebration of the 165th birthday of one of America's greatest innovators, Thomas Edison, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and NBC Learn, produced this 11-part series narrated by NBC News' Ann Curry highlighting innovators from across the country. "

"In Bridge Constructor, you can become an accomplished bridge builder without any formal training. Play 30 different levels, and build bridges over deep valleys, canals, or rivers. Stress tests reveal whether the bridge you build can withstand the daily stress of continual use from cars and trucks. Creativity and imaginativeness is in demand if you want to master the challenging 30 stages of Bridge Constructor!"

"Eleven start-up firms with novel technologies for solving social and environmental problems have set off on a voyage around the world to find new markets where their innovations could improve people's lives. The entrepreneurs will sail to 13 countries, including stops in China, Ghana, India, Mauritius, Morocco, Myanmar, South Africa and Vietnam, as part of the mentor-driven Unreasonable at Sea programme that aims to support a select group of technology companies and their founding members."

Technologies to harness solar power as a path to low-carbon energy are developing at breakneck speed. This Spotlight looks at how developing countries can best make use of them to benefit the millions of rural poor who still live without electricity?"

"Control a robot by giving it commands. Use programmer-style logic for more complex levels that include functions to re-use. Controls Mouse to drag light-Bot controls into the slots."

Middle and high school students across the country are challenged to create original video games, individually or as teams, and to submit their games for the opportunity to win important recognition for themselves and their communities. This is a great way to get students involved in STEM, in a non-traditional way.

"The ramps likely took the form of an inclined plane at the beginning of work, but the configuration in later stages has long been a matter of conjecture. Some Egyptologists propose a straight, gently sloping, linear ramp, some propose a steep staircase ramp, and others propose a ramp that spiraled up the four sides of the pyramid."

" Digital Life video is a fun way to start a discussion or inquiry into digital life. I don't know about you, but the digital is becoming SO common that it tends to blend right into the background and we take it for granted. This is an important discussion with students because most of them have never known a life without idevices and smartphones that instantly connect them to the world. "

"It's Girls With Wings Scholarship Time! We are currently within our application window for our 2013 Spring Scholarship Award. Girls With Wings has a Private Pilot Scholarship to help defray the cost of flight training lessons in pursuit of a private pilot certificate. This fund targets individuals who have soloed but have not completed the Private Pilot Course."

"American Chemical Society - Science for Kids"

There's a place in France where the robots do a dance. And that place is TEDxConcorde, where Bruno Maisonnier of Aldebaran Robotics choreographs a troupe of tiny humanoid Nao robots through a surprisingly emotive performance. Bruno Maisonnier works at Aldebaran Robotics, maker of the tiny, compelling humanoid Nao.

"Kids have always loved building things and solving problems, but before videogames, the best tools we could offer them were Lincoln Logs and Legos. Today, we can give them a whole lot more. Here are eight games you can use to help prepare your child's brain for a life of building and engineering."

"Join us in the Icing Research Tunnel at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, when aeromechanical engineer and icing specialist Judith VanZante gives a tour and explains how engineers apply simple concepts in physical science to create windy, cold and wet conditions for aircraft. VanZante explains the hazards of ice on aircraft, how it is formed, and why research on ice plays a major role in aeronautics. "

"Students are introduced to static equilibrium by learning how forces and torques are balanced in a well-designed engineering structure. A tower crane is presented as a simplified two-dimensional case. Using Popsicle sticks and hot glue, student teams design, build and test a simple tower crane model according to these principles, ending with a team competition. "