Young Engineers – Wycombe and South Bucks Programs
We believe the best way to educate children is through games. Games can be tools that help children learn about themselves and the world around them. We believe in knowing how to make children enjoy all learning materials, and how to properly communicate with the child so that they will absorb the subject matter. e2 Young Engineers program provides a new platform for children to construct, demonstrate and understand scientific principles through gaming experience; children understand that they need to better understand their learning material in order to improve their gaming.
We therefore bring you the Lego Challenge program which introduces primary school children (ages 6 onwards) to the basic principles of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). By integrating basic arithmetic learned in school with an intuitive active learning process, children grasp a better understanding of the fundamentals of physics and engineering concepts.
Every lesson in each of our edutainment programs begins with a theoretical explanation of the topic that will be covered. Once the introduction is complete, the children begin the hands-on portion of the lesson and start creating a model that helps visually demonstrate the topic. This reinforces the concept by combining a fun, engaging experience with the act of learning.
Once the practical part of the lesson is completed, we begin the critical thinking, enhancement and invention stage. During this stage, the child is given an opportunity to use the information they just learned to create a solution to a specific question to practice their problem-solving skills. This further encourages the child to creatively discover a solution while exploring the subject in-depth. At this point in the lesson, the participant has the option to keep creating on their own or simply play and enjoy the model they worked to build.
The final part of each lesson is the clean-up stage. Each child carefully takes apart the model they have built and arranges the parts back in their e² Young Engineers kit. This is a crucial part of the lesson as it helps children pick up the habit of placing things back in their proper place while learning to clean up after themselves.
Average lesson duration: 90 minutes
Program Subjects Include
Basic and complex mathematics: Instructors teach basic maths, from addition and subtraction to exponents.
Famous scientific and philosophical figures: Archimedes, Sir Isaac Newton, Einstein, and more.
Powers and principles in physics: Centrifugal and centripetal forces, the power of inertia, potential energy, kinetic energy, action/reaction law, buoyancy, torque, fulcrum, load division, angular momentum, and more.
Students participating in e² Young Engineers’ Galileo Technic advanced enrichment program will get hands on experience that will prepare them for their future the working in 21st century. Participants will be taught to use expert level engineering thinking, using math and physics to solve problems and build efficient machines. Using that professional engineering perspective students will learn to focus on identifying appropriate solutions for a given problem. In addition they will work in groups, promoting teambuilding to construct complex mechanisms.
Galileo Technic provides an advanced level of thematic study, implementing mechanical engineering principles through building LEGO® bricks models. By analyzing physical, mathematical and technical aspects of a machine’s operation, students will implement the most efficient method for building their machine. Students study a certain topic; explore it from different angles and contexts while integrating the core processes frequently applied by engineers. Participants will graduate the Galileo Technic program with amazing newly learned skills in Science, Technology, Mechanical Engineering, and Math (STEM)
Overview of Galileo Technic curriculum:
Galileo Technic curriculum builds upon the curriculum of Bricks Challenge. In addition to more advanced lessons of the introductory level math, physics and engineering of Bricks Challenge, Galileo Technic participants will be introduced to new engineering terms and principles.
Galileo Technic teaches engineering mechanisms such as: multi-channel transmission systems, mechanical coordination, the movement of a body on a rotational axis, center of gravity and fulcrum, different ratchet implementations, energy depletion, recycling, limited transmission belt implementations and more.
Students build upon the math they learned in Bricks Challenge and will also learn principles of statics, understanding probability and chance.
Please see Bricks Challenge page for details of introductory curriculum taught in that program.
Galileo Technic secondary objectives:
- Encourage independent and creative thinking
- Develop the ability to analyze engineering processes
- Acquire engineering implementation skills
- Expand problem-solving skills
- Provide general knowledge of laws of physics and various natural phenomena
- Progress sense of self-efficacy and time management
- Improve communication and interpersonal skills
- Boost team-building abilities
Galileo Technic building model themes:
- Various launchers
- Construction equipment
- Industrial equipment
- Amusement park rides
- Various mechanisms used in motor vehicles
- Complex machines
Ages : 10 -13 years
Average lesson time : 90 minutes