How did somebody come up with the idea for bridges, skyscrapers, helicopters, and nightlights? How did people figure out how to build them? In 3D Engineering: Design and Build Your Own Prototypes, young readers tackle real-life engineering problems by figuring out real-life solutions. Kids apply science and math skills to create prototypes for bridges, instruments, alarms, and more. Prototypes are preliminary models used by engineers--and kids--to evaluate ideas and to better understand how things work. Engineering design starts with an idea. How do we get to the other side of the river? How do we travel long distances in short periods of time? Using a structured engineering design process, kids learn how to brainstorm, build a prototype, test a prototype, evaluate, and re-design. Projects include designing a cardboard chair to understand the stiffness of structural systems and designing and building a set of pan pipes to experiment with pitch and volume. Creating prototypes is a key step in the engineering design process and prototyping early in the design process generally results in better processes and products. 3D Engineering gives kids a chance to figure out many different prototypes, empowering them to discover the mechanics of the world we know.

 

This book is part of a book series called Build It Yourself .

This book has been graded for interest at 9-12 years.

There are 128 pages in this book. This book was published 2015 by Nomad Press .

Vicki V. May holds a BS in engineering from the University of Minnesota and MS and PhD degrees in engineering from Stanford University. She is a professor at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College and is also involved in various outreach projects that bring the challenge of engineering to middle and high school students. Vicki was named Teacher of the Year for Dartmouth and Thayer in 2012 and Professor of the Year for the State of New Hampshire in 2013. Andrew Christensen is the illustrator of Canals and Dams: Investigate Feats of Engineering and Skyscrapers: Investigate Feats of Engineering for Nomad Press and is an art director at a hobby game company. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Donna Latham is an award-winning author and playwright. She is the author of Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering, Canals and Dams: Investigate Feats of Engineering, Amazing Biome Projects You Can Build Yourself, Backyard Biology: Investigate Habitats Outside Your Door With 25 Projects, and Garbage: Investigate What Happens When You Throw It Out With 25 Projects. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Society of Midland Authors. Donna lives in Batavia, Illinois. Andrew Christensen is the illustrator of Canals and Dams and an art director at a hobby game company. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

This book has the following chapters: Introduction: The Engineering Design Process Chapter 1: Strong, Stiff, and Stable Chapter 2: Everything is Spinning Chapter 3: Staying Afloat and Staying Aloft Chapter 4: Prototypes That Use Chemical Reactions Chapter 5: Prototypes That Produce Music Chapter 6: Prototypes That Produce Light and Sound Chapter 7: Prototypes That Generate Energy Chapter 8: Design Prototypes of Your Own Glossary Resources Index