Summer SAVY, Session 1, Intro to Chemical Engineering (1st – 2nd)
We are off to a great start in Introduction to Chemical Engineering with Playdough! We began this morning by getting to know each other and pondering what type of machine we would build to solve a problem. Trash-collecting, enviro-robots, and homework-completing smart machines were some of the more creative responses! Our “mystery tech” bags allowed us to discuss the types of technology and its significance in our daily routines. We also explored the role of engineers in society and compared and contrasted artists and engineers.
Our first SAVY lunch was great, and our early afternoon was spent engaging with our new engineer notebooks by participating in various design challenges using materials like legos, play dough, toothpicks, and Wikki Stix. Students completed initial build challenges and improved their design efficiency by making their structures sturdier, taller, or more effective. After our outdoor recreational activity this afternoon, we dove deeper into the role of chemical engineers, the types of problems they solve, and how they utilize the same engineering design process that we will use this week in our playdough design.
Some questions for dinner table discussion this evening:
- What is an engineer, and what types of problems do they solve?
- How are tools and technology related?
- What do chemical engineers do, and what are some solutions produced by chemical engineers?
We look forward to a great day tomorrow!