The Go-To Guide for Engineering Curricula, PreK-5 : Choosing and Using the Best Instructional Materials for Your Students

How to engineer change in your elementary science classroom

With the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards, your students won’t just be scientists—they’ll be engineers. But that doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel. Respected science educator Cary Sneider has done the groundwork for you, collecting a full range of time-tested curriculum materials to seamlessly weave engineering and technology concepts into your math and science lessons.

In this volume, you’ll find descriptions of instructional materials specifically created for—and tested in—elementary science classrooms. Features include:

• A handy table that takes you straight to the chapters most relevant to your needs
• In-depth commentaries and illustrative examples that demystify engineering curricula at the PreK-5 level
• A vivid picture of what each curriculum looks like in the classroom, the learning goals it accomplishes, and how it helps address the NGSS
• More information on the integration of engineering and technology into 21st-century science classrooms—and why it will make a difference

One of the most well-respected science educators in the country, Cary Sneider was an NGSS Writing Team Leader and is an associate research professor at Portland State University.

"Knowledge and confidence to teach engineering in the elementary science curriculum comes with access to high quality instructional materials. Without question, this book provides the information teachers and curriculum specialists need to make well-informed decisions that will give students the opportunity to use the engineering design process to both apply and develop their knowledge of science. With elementary engineering in the STEM spotlight, this book is timely and much needed!"
-Page Keeley, Corwin Author and Science Education Consultant

"Dr. Sneider’s book is a just-in-time, much needed resource for elementary teachers, administrators, and teacher educators. With the advent of the Next Generation Science Standards, many practicing elementary teachers are in great need of support. They need to know that there are high-quality, well-thought-out curricular options that they can use to scaffold engineering in their classrooms. This book provides exactly the introduction that they need. The curricula are thoroughly described, and the book includes everything that a teacher or an administrator needs to evaluate a curriculum for potential classroom use. This book is an extremely valuable tool in the quickly changing field of education."
- Laura Bottomley, Directory, The Engineering Place