The Engineering Design Process for Kids

Why the Engineering Design Process is Important

There are a lot of STEM resources online. Whether you are searching on Pinterest, blogs, or STEM education websites, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Just because it says “STEM” or “STEAM” doesn’t mean it is STEM or STEAM.
Engineers do indeed follow the EDP. If you see a STEM challenge idea that has students jump right in to building, it’s probably not STEM. Crafts have their place in the classroom, but STEM challenges are not crafts. There is a crafting aspect, but it is important that the activities have a basis in some math, science, or technology concept. The building phase is fun, and most kids will want to rush ahead. In the real world, this can be a very costly mistake.

Making a detailed plan is important for 2 reasons:

• It makes students slow down and walk through the process in their head (or on a screen). Dimensional constraints can be thought out and applied ahead of time, which reduces time in the build phase. Engineers use CAD and other software (such as finite element analysis software) to virtually test their designs first.
• The plan is documented. This is important so that peers can check work, refer to it, and prove their concepts if pursuing patents. Engineers keep special notebooks that they sign and date so there is always a record of when ideas were conceived.

What happens when students follow the EDP?

The first few times might be challenging to get through. Some of the steps may not require a long time so it might seem like they are not as important, but take the time to work through each step. As students get used to the process, it will become a natural flow.

Show that the process is important!
How? Remove one of the posters and ask students to think about what would happen if one of the steps were missing.

For example, if you remove “Ask” but expect students to figure out what problem you might want them to solve, they will realize this step matters. If you remove “Create” there is no way to test the plan! If you have no plan, you can’t ask a second team to create the first team’s design without a lot of reverse engineering.

Download FREE Engineering Design Process Posters

I have created three different sets of engineering design process posters as a bonus for you. Just choose which set you’d like by filling in the information below each image. As a thank you for subscribing to my newsletter, you will also gain access to my free resource library.

Get Everything You Need to Teach the Engineering Design Process to Kids

I have created the ultimate guide for educators to teach students of all ages about the EDP!

What you’ll get:

This resource is the culmination of years of working as an engineer and STEM educator. In it, you will find:

• A 20+ page teacher guide:
  • A brief overview of STEM and why it’s important
  • An in-depth look at each step of the EDP
  • The 4 Cs and STEM
  • The Scientific Method and comparison to the EDP
  • A simplified and fun acronym option for teaching the EDP to younger students
  • How to tell if it’s STEM (is it Impostor STEM?! or Authentic)
  • Video links to introduce the EDP
  • STEM challenge tips
  • Walk-through for Index Card STEM challenge
  • Completed samples
  • Follow-up questions to ask students to assess STEM learning and encourage out-of-the-box thinking

• Student Printables
  • 3-page introduction to the EDP
  • EDP warm up activity (2 levels provided)
  • Research an engineering profession
  • EDP printable (students label and define steps)
  • Scientific method overview and EDP comparison (3 pages)
  • EDP and Scientific Method sorting activity
  • EDP knowledge check/assessment (2 options)
  • Growth mindset and failure color and doodle page (2 options)

• Bonuses
  • Checklists and Rubrics: 6 pre-made checklists and rubrics plus 3 editable options (in Google Slides)
  • EDP Posters: Choose from “Ask Imagine Plan Create Improve” or DIP ME “Define Imagine Plan Make Enhance” (If you attended Elementary STEM Con, you may remember Dip Me!)
  • Graphic Organizers and STEM Challenge Recording Sheet: Several options to choose from for students to record their ideas, data, and progress.
  • Spot Impostor STEM! Can you tell the difference between a high-quality, authentic STEM challenge and an impostor? Use the graphic and checklist to vet STEM challenges you want to try in your classroom.