STEM focus for middle school

[AmyinMD]

My 10 yo is really into engineering so I'm trying to focus more on STEM as I plan curriculum next year for 6th grade.  If anyone has designed a program for a STEM focused student I'd love to compare ideas.  

 

I have found some things for him to do for middle school but I'm looking for more.  He is really into airplanes and robots and is pretty sure he wants to be a Mechanical Engineer.  I'd like to find more for science for him especially things he may be able to do independently.  I have NLS 4 for next year he will do with his sisters but it doesn't really challenge him.   His twin sister is dyslexic and working a couple grades below grade level so when I try to keep him with the girls it usually winds up where he doesn't get challenged.  We are trying to do Robotics through 4H but he has barely gone because the meetings almost always conflict with soccer.  He is really into soccer and plays for a traveling club team that takes up a lot of time.   He would love some sort of actual engineering class for his level that was online.   I have seen some online engineering courses but all were for high school age although I think a good middle school physics class may be a good alternative.   He is taking a half day week long robotics camp over the summer using Lego Mindstorms EV3.  I have considered getting the set for him but it is a lot of money.   Also I've thought of maybe focusing some of the literature books he reads with more of a science or engineering focus.  Those are the types of books he prefers to read.   He is taking AoPS Pre-Algebra through WTM Academy in the fall which I think will be good for him.  I think it will be a good challenge for him because I really feel like I failed at challenging him this year.  

 

I just ordered him a Pi Bot that we will work on this summer.  He turns 11 this summer and a little under the recommended age but I think he will be fine with some help.  

http://pi-bot.org/products/pi-bot

 

A friend just told me about Tynker and we are waiting on our Kickstarter order which includes a drone.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tynker/immersive-game-worlds-for-kids-to-learn-programmin/description

 

 

 

 

 

 

[8filltheheart]

2 of my older boys are in STEM careers or majoring in a STEM field. (Our oldest ds is a chemE and our youngest ds is currently majoring in physics and math with a goal of a phd in physics.)

 

What was the best thing to prepare them for their goals? Strong math foundation and messing around with Legos and building things on their own. (They loved books like the old Popular Mechanics for Boys (we actually own the old books, but it looks like this is a reprint compilation of some to the projects http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Mechanic-Projects-Mechanics-Childrens/dp/0486452271/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433428042&sr=1-2&keywords=Popular+mechanics+for+boys , projects from Make Magazine http://www.amazon.com/Best-Make-Projects-pages-MAKE/dp/059651428X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433423888&sr=1-1&keywords=Maker+magazine, and books like Backyard Ballistics http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Ballistics-Cannons-Cincinnati-Dynamite/dp/1613740646/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433423991&sr=1-5&keywords=Ballistics

 

Really, I would not focus on finding engineering courses. There is no need to.

[AmyinMD]

I'm not specifically looking for engineering classes more than stuff he could do on his own.  He is a child that loves taking tests and following a set curriculum and asked if he could do an engineering class next year.  A good online middle school science class is something I think he would like.  My dh and I both have engineering degrees but our schedule is pretty busy.  

 

We have the Backyard Ballistics book and a couple others but some of those projects get pretty involved and since he on the younger side he winds up needing a lot of help.  He did a couple of the projects from Backyard Ballistics with assistance this spring.  

[fastweedpuller]

I have a sciency kid too.  Have you looked into Engineering Everywhere/Engineering Is Elementary website at all?  There might be a couple of units he could do independently.  The site is kind of geared to afterschooling but one or another unit might spark his interest as far as a long-term study.  HTH.

[Mom-ninja.]

Well, there's Mr. Q Physics. You could look at that and see what you think. It's not an online class though. What exactly are you looking for? Curricula? Online class like Derek Owens? Project books? My boys love Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction. 

[Arcadia]

My DS10, rising 6th grader, has opted for a physics heavy year for 2015/2016.

 

This is what he plan for himself

Summer:

do as many make electronics experiments as possible. We have kit 1 & kit 2 and the library copy of Make Electronics

School year:

Clover Creek Physics taught by a boardie online

Hands on homeschool science class that he likes this year 2014/2015 so we are continuing with that

 

For fun:

Sketchup (software)

AutoCad

Coursera Intro to Python course

Bridge contest https://bridgecontest.org

 

He will be finishing his current AoPS books for math.

We have both the Mindstorm NXT and EV3. He wants to be an astronaut with backup choice of architect.

 

ETA:

He plans year by year so we don't have a three year plan for middle school.

 

ETA:

We have zometools and we have the inorganic/organic molecular chem set.

[8filltheheart]

I'm not specifically looking for engineering classes more than stuff he could do on his own. He is a child that loves taking tests and following a set curriculum and asked if he could do an engineering class next year. A good online middle school science class is something I think he would like. My dh and I both have engineering degrees but our schedule is pretty busy.

 

We have the Backyard Ballistics book and a couple others but some of those projects get pretty involved and since he on the younger side he winds up needing a lot of help. He did a couple of the projects from Backyard Ballistics with assistance this spring.

Have you seen Zome? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=Zometool&rh=n%3A165793011%2Ck%3AZometool

 

As far as middle school science, I have never had a child complete a middle school program, so I am no help. My kids follow there interests for science until high school level materials and then either use high school or for "non-major" college textbooks. Are there specific topics that appeal to him? Reading actual books vs textbooks is an awesome way to build enthusiasm and broaden their knowledge bc whole books provide greater depth and breadth.

[MamaChicken]

He sounds a lot like DS11, except that mine wants nothing to do with a set curriculum.  I recommend Make Electronics Books 1 and 2, with kits, Arduino, and if he's into sound at all there's a book called Handmade Electronic Music, and its a blast.

He audited an EdX course called Introduction to Aerospace Engineering which he really enjoyed and is casually auditing the Engineering of Structures around us.

Anything science designed for elementary or middle school has been a bust.

[FairProspects]

He sounds a lot like DS11, except that mine wants nothing to do with a set curriculum.  I recommend Make Electronics Books 1 and 2, with kits, Arduino, and if he's into sound at all there's a book called Handmade Electronic Music, and its a blast.

He audited an EdX course called Introduction to Aerospace Engineering which he really enjoyed and is casually auditing the Engineering of Structures around us.

Anything science designed for elementary or middle school has been a bust.

 

This is mine too. My ds has mostly done a lot of hands-on things varying with his interests. We did get him a programming tutor this year when he expressed interest, and that has been one of the best things about his year. Learning this stuff from a 20 y.o. male computer science major is much cooler apparently. They've also done fun things like take apart computers and look RAM to check out how the programming works with hardware. If you can afford it and find a good one, that would be my recommendation.

 

Ds has expressed that he is again interested in robotics (he took a break from that for a couple of years) so we might pursue something with that in fall too. Mostly his coursework will be interest based for science and keeping up with the math. He will be doing a physics (again!) elective in the fall online. I think we've done physics with him every year in some form.

[Alte Veste Academy]

DS12 has enjoyed Gateway to Engineering. It is an overview of engineering at the middle school level, put out by Project Lead the Way. You can see a preview on Google Books and on Amazon. I have the newer version (2013), but didn't pay nearly what a used copy of that is selling for now! The page count is the same, so I doubt there is much difference between it and the 2009 edition. ETA: I compared the Tables of Contents. The later book moves the chapter on Civil Engineering and Architecture to another spot in the book and renames it Sustainable Architecture, but they seem otherwise identical.

 

I've read here that Landry Academy has an online middle school class based on this book, but I don't know any details about that. ETA: Just looked this up, and Algebra 1 is a prerequisite. DS prefers to read and bunny trail with living books and projects. This book has been FANTASTIC for exposure to concepts. 

[daijobu]

If you are thinking about learning more about electronics and Arduino, I'm compiling resources that we are using in our electronics curriculum in this thread.

[SilverMoon]

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Edited May 23, 2023 by SilverMoon

[Bluegoat]

Something that I think gets overlooked for kids into engineering is actually the chance to work on everyday kinds of things.  Things like repairing a faucet, framing up a shed, or taking apart an old lawnmower motor. How to use tools and solve problems in real life building scenarios.

 

If you know anyone that does this kind of thing, I think that might be one of the best things you can give a child that they absolutely do not get through school or really any sort of school curriculum.  Even with things like electronics, I think that learning how to actually do electrical work can be a much better beginning than a kind of abstract attempt to teach through a kid or project.

 

These kinds of activities do teach the principles, all be it non-systematically, but the kids actually see them working, and learn the hand skills and safety procedures, the value of doing careful work, and there is a lot they can intuit from just seeing the way things are done as a matter of course.

 

Guys who actually do the practical work of putting things together often find working from the direction of people whose experience is totally abstract is really frustrating.  The middle school years would be a great time to develop some of those skills, and would give great experience to build more abstract and mathematical knowledge on later.

[8filltheheart]

 

Guys who actually do the practical work of putting things together often find working from the direction of people whose experience is totally abstract is really frustrating.  

 

There is a difference between knowing what something does and knowing how it works. For example, abstract-education-only people know what the valves "do" but do they know  how they really operate (the components that exist and how they work together and how they might fail).  Not knowing how something actually operates means that you can't really foresee the problems that IRL occur.   Being aware the mechanics behind the "what it does" means being aware of the limitations of the equipment.

 

 

[Bluegoat]

My dh and ds would totally agree with assessment.  They both find it extremely frustrating when engineers they work with have no clue about how valves, etc actually work.  The abstract education only people know what the valves "do" but are clueless as to how they really operate (the components that exist and work together and how they might fail) and b/c of that they can't really foresee the problems that IRL occur.   The real value of those engineers is much lower than those with practical hands on knowledge b/c someone always has to be looking over their shoulder to make sure things aren't overlooked.  A lot of engineers are dealing with life/death scenarios via equipment/chemicals/processes, etc.  Being able to understand the mechanical side of things in real terms should really be of vital importance.  Being hands-on seems to "beneath" some of them.   

 

Just my casual observations as a 100% non-engineer who has listened to 1-sided midnight and weekend phone calls for almost 30 yrs from other engineers calling who are clueless how to deal with crises that arise.

 

My aunt had a small front porch added to her house a few years ago.  She got an architect to design it so it would actually fit in to the rest of the house which is older, and picked someone who she had a reccomendation for.  My uncle and his friend who are carpenters did the work - they had to make a few changes, in one instance because the plan didn't account for proper venting and drainage underneath, and in the other because the size he made it was just off of standard dimensions and was going to cost a bundle more for no real reason.  All things that someone who had actual building experience would probably be clued into.

[SilverMoon]

8fills and Bluegoat~ Thanks for those posts. DS/7th is always sticking his nose in and wanting to know how things work, and he's the only one with a box of random electric parts in his toy shelf. He seems to wiggle his way into those situations on his own, but I could be more intentional about them.

 

 

OP, a less expensive option would be Macauley's The New Way Things Work.

[Arcadia]

Hubby make sure kids learn basic household maintenance like how to replace the undersink waste disposal system and unclog pipes with the "snake". My aunt taught me how to do basic repair of manual cars when I was a kid as I love to watch.
Since my uncles own manufacturing facilities, I had an advantage of knowing how much work it was to own and run one.
 

My uncle and his friend who are carpenters did the work - they had to make a few changes, in one instance because the plan didn't account for proper venting and drainage underneath, and in the other because the size he made it was just off of standard dimensions and was going to cost a bundle more for no real reason.

That is kind of interesting to me because when I did my internship as an undergrad for civil engineering, the architect designs but the civil engineers do the blueprints and costing. I was doing mainly blueprints of cruise ships, oil tankers and oil rigs, and did a court case for a building overhang which wasn't welded well and failed. Not in the U.S. though. The joke was that architects build castles in the air. There is a lot of back and forth modifications between architects and civil engineers.

[Bluegoat]

Hubby make sure kids learn basic household maintenance like how to replace the undersink waste disposal system and unclog pipes with the "snake". My aunt taught me how to do basic repair of manual cars when I was a kid as I love to watch.

Since my uncles own manufacturing facilities, I had an advantage of knowing how much work it was to own and run one.

 

That is kind of interesting to me because when I did my internship as an undergrad for civil engineering, the architect designs but the civil engineers do the blueprints and costing. I was doing mainly blueprints of cruise ships, oil tankers and oil rigs, and did a court case for a building overhang which wasn't welded well and failed. Not in the U.S. though. The joke was that architects build castles in the air. There is a lot of back and forth modifications between architects and civil engineers.

 

That's interesting.  I'm in Canada and I am not sure how that works here.  I think some things do need to be approved by an engineer, but I have a feeling it isn't everything, especially if you have an architect.

 

My dh tells me that the people who do a lot of the work on such things here are actually technical draughtsmen rather than engineers, though, because a lot of the engineers are more in management.

[Arcadia]

My dh tells me that the people who do a lot of the work on such things here are actually technical draughtsmen rather than engineers, though, because a lot of the engineers are more in management.

That's true in Singapore where I came from. The engineers check and sign off. Even the engineering interns do not draw the official blueprints. I was doing more project management work even as an intern.

 

ETA:

When it comes to legal cases was when engineers did more calculations, both computer as well as pen and paper. I was dealing with failure analysis.

 

On the bright side, I was thinking of a 3D printer as a pseudo CNC machine to make prototypes and hubby understands.