Looking for engaging engineering for middle school activities? This free lesson helps students discover the exciting world of engineering while battling common misconceptions!
Why I Love This “What is Engineering” Lesson for Middle School
Teaching engineering for middle school students presents unique challenges, but it also offers incredible opportunities for discovery. Every year, on Day 1 of STEM class, I ask my students, “What is engineering?” The responses I get never fail to make me smile:
- “Building stuff”
- “Science”
- “Doing construction work”
- “Driving the subway trains”
These answers perfectly capture why this lesson is so important! While STEM and engineering go hand-in-hand, many middle school students (and grown-ups, too!) don’t know exactly what it is or why they should know about it.
This lesson transforms those initial misconceptions into real understanding and excitement about engineering.
When students discover that the products of engineering are found all around us and that engineers work in just about any field imaginable, their eyes light up. The moment they realize that we will be using engineering to solve real-world problems, they become genuinely excited about our class and the work ahead.
If you want to learn more about stem-based education and why it’s important, read on here!
What’s Included in This Engineering for Middle School Lesson
Your download includes:
- Complete teacher lesson plan
- Student handouts
- Teacher slideshow
- “Explain” and “Elaborate” activity materials
- Links to recommended online resources
How It Works
The lesson flows through several stages designed specifically for middle school engineering education:
- Students share their background knowledge about engineering.
- I task students with solving a mini engineering design challenge. This experience helps them start identifying some of their own misconceptions and construct a deeper understanding of what engineers do.
- I have students research the definition of engineering and different engineering careers.
- Students reflect on their learning and revise their definitions of engineering from the beginning of class.
Implementation
This engineering for middle school lesson is designed to fit into 1-2 class periods and works perfectly at the beginning of an engineering unit or course.
It can also serve as a print-and-go sub lesson plan or enrichment activity.
The lesson adapts easily to in-person, hybrid, and virtual learning environments – though if you’re teaching in a hybrid format, I recommend prioritizing the Explore activity for in-person days.
Students can work independently or in small groups during the Explore activity.
Since this may be students’ first introduction to engineering, remember that designs not going as planned is perfectly normal. This is a great opportunity to reassure students that redesigning and improving are essential parts of the engineering process, especially if you’ll be introducing the engineering design process later in your course.
The lesson aligns with both NGSS Science and Engineering Practices and CCSS English Language Arts Standards for Science & Technical Subjects, so it is a valuable addition to your middle school STEM curriculum!
Ready to Get Started?
Download a free copy of my low-prep lesson, and have fun introducing your students to the wonderful world of engineering!
These concepts will ground the rest of your work throughout the course and spark a genuine interest in engineering principles.
