Being an Engineer is important for my students because it allows them to think about the processes and skills needed to be a problem solver. The learning goals guide the students through the EDP which is the process for problem solving complex issues as well. In STEM,  creatively and collaboratively solving problems is an essential skill. In this unit, students practice being able to choose from different options to solve the same problem. Being able to make decisions based off of appropriateness or effectiveness is a skill that students will develop and strengthen in this unit. 

My specific students had had many prior experiences with engineering and the EDP. They went to STEM as a special once a week. They had completed a Project Lead the Way unit in prior grades as well as this year. We had read a vast amount of literature that connects engineering and science for elementary school students. We were also able to provide them with a LEGO engineering kit prior to the start of this unit. Students were able to apply those experiences to the school wide values around perseverance, collaboration and problem solving skills in this unit. 

I designed these lessons to incorporate hands-on learning, kinesthetic learning, collaboration, communication, speaking and listening skills, and visual/pictorial learning to address the needs of my specific students. Almost my entire class identify as ELL students. Considering this, while there is a writing component, it is not heavy, and the vocabulary will be defined together and explored as a class. I frequently provided visual images and sentence stems in my assessments to allow all students to access and produce meaningful answers without English being the barrier for them to show their learning. I have included videos as engagements, as well as made an anchor chart for students to refer back to throughout the unit. 

Inquiry-based learning has been proven to be an effective mode of teaching. Allowing my students to collaborate and explore this project is important for engagement but also for creating meaningful experiences. By giving them choice and freedom to explore their own solutions and ideas, I allow them to take ownership over the material. This unit, with its appropriate scaffolds, embodies this concept.