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Curricular Unit: Intro to Engineering

Contributed by: Integrated Teaching and Learning Program and Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder

Students are introduced to the basic principles behind engineering and the types of engineering while learning about a popular topic - the Olympics. The involvement of engineering in modern sports is amazing and pervasive. Students learn about the techniques of engineering problem solving, including brainstorming and the engineering design process. The importance of thinking out of the box is stressed through a discussion of the engineering required to build grand, often complex, Olympic event centers. Students review what they know about kinetic and potential energy as they investigate the design of energy-absorbing materials, relating this to the design of lighter, faster and stronger sporting equipment to improve athletic performance and protect athletes. Students consider states of matter and material properties as they see the role of chamical engineering in the Olympics. Students also learn about transportation and the environment, the relationship between architecture and environment, and the relationship between architecture and engineering.

Working in teams, engineers approach creative problem-solving by using the techniques of brainstorming and following the cyclical steps of engineering design process. Engineers are challenged to think "outside of the box" as they envision, design and create complex projects, products and processes. Engineers are intimately involved in transportation, the environment, architecture, sports — and really everything in our human-made world.

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See individual lessons and activities. © 2006 by Regents of the University of Colorado. This digital library content was developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, and National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Integrated Teaching and Learning Program and Laboratory, College of Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder

Last Modified: March 9, 2010

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