Presented by Rebecca Abbott, Professional Learning Lead, University of California Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science

Sponsored by Amplify

Watch the Recording 

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation. Get a CE Certificate for this edWebinar Learn more

Engineering design plays a central role in just about every facet of our lives. Whether we are aware of it or not, we interact with the designed world countless times each day—from the shoes we wear to the places we live to how we entertain ourselves. Design thinking and technological solutions will continue to increase in importance as we work to address the challenges that confront our modern world in areas such as agriculture, human health, and the environment.

The National Research Council (NRC), in its visionary document A Framework for K-12 Science Education, has elevated Engineering Design to an essential element of student learning because of its central importance to society. This places it on equal footing alongside Life, Earth, and Physical Science in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NRC Framework explains, “providing students a foundation in engineering design allows them to better engage in and aspire to solve the major societal and environmental challenges they will face in the decades ahead.”

In this recorded edWebinar, Rebecca Abbott showcases how we can create a learning environment that taps into students’ natural curiosity about engineering design and supports them in doing the authentic design work of an engineer—one where they apply their science knowledge, consider different design criteria, and make, test, and iterate on designs to optimize their solutions. Explore examples of ways that the Learning Design Group at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science has designed sequences of instruction to immerse grade K-8 students in the role of an engineer as they work to design solutions to real-world problems.

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to kindergarten through middle school teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, STEM coordinators, summer school coordinators, and technology coordinators.

About the Presenter

Rebecca Abbott is the Professional Learning Lead for The Learning Design Group at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science. In her nine years at The Lawrence, she has been supporting instructional leaders and teachers in implementing research-based science instructional materials and approaches designed by the team at The Learning Design Group. She taught in San Francisco Bay Area schools for over 15 years, including serving as an interdisciplinary instructional coach and English Learner specialist.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

Join the STEM Learning: Full STEAM Ahead community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.

Amplify is dedicated to collaborating with educators to create learning experiences that are rigorous and riveting for all students. Amplify creates K–8 core and supplemental curriculum, assessment, and intervention programs for today’s students.