The DoSeum in San Antonio emphasizes hands-on learning.

Last summer the San Antonio Children's Museum, a beloved local institution, moved into a new space—described by the San Antonio Current as a "singular looking complex with Mad Max vibes." It also took a new name, The DoSeum (pronounced "Do - See - um"), to reflect a new emphasis on getting visitors to engage and do, not just look around. It opened new exhibits like "Innovation Station," focused on the engineering design process. And it set a new goal: To serve as a bridge connecting formal and informal STEM education efforts in the city. We're excited and honored to share that The DoSeum will use the Engineering is Elementary curriculum to aid in their efforts.

Each Thursday on the EiE blog, we answer your questions or offer handy teacher tips.

Q: I want my middle schoolers to do some engineering. Will the Engineering is Elementary curriculum work for me?

A: The short answer is, "Possibly!"

Even though EiE's design is based on research on what "works" for STEM education for grades 1–5, we often hear from teachers who are using EiE units in their middle school classrooms with great success . . . not to mention kindergarten and high school!

In the hit movie The Martian, Matt Damon plays NASA scientist Mark Watney, who gets marooned on Mars. The situation is dire, but Watney shows grit (plus extreme science and engineering skills) as he jury-rigs devices to make oxygen and water, repair his shelter, and communicate with the folks back on Earth. Who knew that problem-solving and the engineering design process could make for a thrilling Hollywood spectacle?

Each Thursday on the EiE Blog we offer helpful teaching tips or answer your questions about classroom and materials management.

Are you planning to teach the Engineering is Elementary unit “Now You’re Cooking: Designing Solar Ovens”?  Here are two handy tips from EiE professional development provider Jason Brewer for Lesson 3 (“What’s Hot and What’s Not”).

Think back to when you were in elementary school. What do you remember most vividly? Was it listening to a lecture, watching a demonstration, or filling out a worksheet?  Probably not! Personally, I’ll always remember the time in fourth grade when I installed a light bulb in a cardboard box to make an incubator and hatched baby chicks for the school science fair.