If you’ve ever watched your child build a tower of blocks, only to watch it tumble and see your child begin again, but a little bit differently, then you have watched the fundamentals of the Engineering Design Process. Engineering is the process of asking questions and solving problems to create something new. The efforts of engineers are all around us; from the furniture we sit on, to the planes we fly in, the medicines we use and so much more.

Children naturally undertake the Engineering Design Process in their play with everything from LEGO to craft supplies to sticks and rocks or even water in the bathtub. They try something out, test it, maybe fail, maybe succeed, and try again and again and again. You’ve probably noticed their focus and determination to get that tall block tower to stop wobbling and then, somewhere along the line, they figure it out and get that amazing ah-ha moment! Engineering is exciting, motivating, and highly interesting to children of all ages!

At Indy STEAM Academy, we harness our students’ natural curiosity for design and problem solving and refine it by using the research-based Engineering Design Process. During our 90 daily minutes of science and engineering instruction, students will cycle through the Engineering Design Process many times throughout the year as they invent, design, build, test, and analyze solutions to real-world problems. Our teachers are highly skilled at guiding students in the planning and constructing of their design models. 

Here is a quick breakdown of how we help students approach the design process: 

ASK:  What is the problem? How have others approached it? What are your constraints? What is the problem to solve? What do we want to design and who is it for?

IMAGINE: What could be a solution? Brainstorm ideas. Choose the best one. This is a great opportunity to work with a team and learn from each other’s ideas.

PLAN: Draw a diagram. Make a list of materials you will need, choose one of your ideas from the earlier step, and make a plan to move forward!

CREATE: Follow your plan and create something. Building a prototype makes your ideas real! Now, TEST IT OUT!

IMPROVE: What works? What doesn’t? What could work better? Modify your design to make it better. Discuss how you could improve your solution and make revisions. 

And now, REPEAT! 

The Engineering Design Process puts the responsibility for developing a model from start to finish in the hands of the students. And when this process is coupled with exciting projects like designing a bridge or solar oven, creating packages to keep our food safe, or creating a video game platform, it’s highly engaging and motivating! 

At Indy STEAM, our students also use the latest technology to plan and design their models, as well as to present their creations to classmates. This learning approach is embedded in the Indiana Science and Engineering Process standards, Project Lead the Way, and the Engineering is Elementary instructional module.  

There are so many 21st century skills wrapped up in the engineering process: critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and teamwork. It encourages students to think creatively, take risks, and learn from their successes and failures. This is learning at its best—exciting and long-lasting!

At Indy STEAM Academy, we embrace engineering as an integral part of our curriculum and a pathway to our children’s future in STEAM fields. If your child is fascinated by how things work, loves creating and tinkering, or you are hoping to awaken these skills in them, then Indy STEAM Academy could be the perfect fit! Visit our enrollment page to get your student registered for the upcoming school year! 

About Indy STEAM Academy 

The mission of Indianapolis (Indy) STEAM Academy is to nurture the academic and creative talents of students through the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. We build a strong literacy foundation to ensure the achievement of all students and prepare them for high school, college, and careers in a 21st century global workforce. #weareIndySTEAM #chooseIndySTEAM #IndySTEAMAcademy Enrolling now!