STEM Ambassador - Engineering - Primary

This collection of resources are to help Engineering STEM Ambassadors introduce their work to pupils aged 5 to 11 years of age.  The resources cover many types of engineering, but the common theme is that they contain activities that pupils could complete to show how engineers solve problems through the application of science and design.

The 'What is engineering?' resource contains a useful presentation 'Engineers don't all wear hard hats' to introduce what engineers do. This could be adapted by a STEM Ambassador to talk about the problem they are trying to solve. The presentation could be combined with a pupil hands on engineering activity to ensure high engagement and impact. Examples of some suitable activities in this collection cover:

• Designing a simple wind turbine to lift a cup off the floor - Wind power STEM challenge
• Making a water filter - Water for everyone everywhere
• Designing houses for different parts of the world - Shelter for the world
• Constructing a sturdy structure - Den Day
• Designing of a ship which needs to break through sea ice - Ice Breaker
• Designing a boat to carry more passengers
• Investigating the best way to load cargo on a boat
• Using fruit to power lights - Fruit Lights
• Building a bridge form one piece of paper- Bridges and structures
• Modelling linkage mechanisms
• Looking at simple electrical circuits by making a steady hand game - Exciting electricity
• Building a balanced hanging sculpture
• Making a tower from spaghetti
• Investigating the forces affecting buildings - Vertically challenged
• Using different types of envelope to link design with function - High Flyers
• Designing a push along toy to meet set design criteria - How will your roly poly move?

With these resources they provide a source of inspiration for some hands on activities that will work. Many of them have been written for teachers so include parts which are not relevant for STEM Ambassadors.