Nearly 30 math and science enthusiasts gathered in Kearney before the NATM/NATS fall conference for some engineering activities and munchies at the first Teachers’ Circle meeting of the year.
The gathering offered one session on Family Engineering for K-12 teachers (elementary, secondary math, and secondary science) presented by Cindy Beaman of Grand Island, Lisa Clapper of Minden, and Amy Wilson of Aurora. Family Engineering, http://familyscienceandengineering.org/, actively engages children and their families in fun, hands-on, engineering activities. While the activities come from a book aimed at elementary students and families, the activities for upper grades are of interest to secondary math and science teachers as well.
These activities use inexpensive, easy-to-find materials and can be implemented in your school to positively influence attitudes about engineering as well as consider possible careers in engineering fields.
You could also host a Teachers’ Circle for teachers in your school, district or ESU, with funding from the Center for Science, Mathematics and Computer Education. For more information, contact us at nebraskamath@unl.edu.
Check out the projects at http://familyscienceandengineering.org/ and in http://familyscienceandengineering.org/store/product-category/family-engineering-book-english/.
Traditionally, Math Teachers’ Circles bring together mathematicians and teachers with the goal of providing an opportunity to discover and share with students the excitement and richness of problem solving in deep yet accessible mathematical topics. Recently, we have broadened our scope to include Science Teachers’ Circles and Teachers’ Circle for all STEM fields.
Other Math Teachers Circles in Nebraska convene regularly in Lincoln and Omaha. https://www.mathteacherscircle.org/find-a-circle/