[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms. Today, we’re focusing on the valuable practice of weighing criteria vs constraints when solving a problem.]

Three middle school students are huddled at their table, deep in thought.

“We’re at $7.75,” one student says. “So that’s under $9.00.” They all look at each other.

The medicine cooler they are designing has a maximum budget of $9.00, so there's room if they want to spend a little more to improve the design. After some discussion, they decide to add aluminum foil to the outside of the box for an extra layer of insulation.

[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms.]

If you walked past this second-grade classroom and heard the lively conversation, you might not guess that it was part of a new STEM engineering lesson.

The teacher asks a simple question, “Think about when you go to sleep at night. Do you like the room to be very dark? Or do you prefer to sleep in a room with a lot of light?"

Hands go up.

“I like it SUPER dark in my room,” says Mateo. “I close the door and even a tiny light annoys me and I can’t sleep.”

“My brother sleeps with a big dinosaur nightlight,” adds Sofia. “I like some light, but it is way too bright.”

“I like the lights off so it’s kind of dark, but with maybe the hall light on,” says Jordan. “So in-between.”

[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms. Today, we’re focusing on another core engineering practice: exploring the properties and uses of materials to inform design decisions.]

Everything humans have ever made—from the earliest stone tools to running shoes and satellites—depended on choosing the right materials. Engineers spend a lot of time exploring how materials behave so they can match those properties to a specific goal. Bridges must be made of materials that are strong and durable. A raincoat needs something flexible and waterproof.

[This post is part of our series, Engineering Practices in the Classroom, which explores what engineering practices are, why they matter, and what they look like in real classrooms. Today, we’re focusing on a foundational practice: using a structured process to solve problems.]

[This is the first post in a series about Engineering Practices — why they matter and how teachers can bring them into the classroom. Stay tuned for the series!]

“Ohh… oh. Oh no.”

”What is it?” the teacher asks. The students peer closely at their design. No water is making it through the membrane models they constructed.

”We definitely have to improve it.”

When the students in this clip test their ideas and revise their plans, they’re doing more than completing an activity. They’re engaging in authentic Engineering Practices.