Mechanical Engineering

This month's activity provides a means for teaching momentum and collisions in the context of sports engineering. In the TeachEngineering activity, Bouncing Balls, students examine how different balls react when colliding with different surfaces. They will also learn how to calculate momentum and understand the principle of conservation of momentum in the context of sports engineering. Sports engineering is becoming a popular specialty field of study. While some engineers dedicate their research to understanding collisions between balls and bats, others study the effects of a golf ball colliding with the head of a golf club. To design these aspects of sports equipment, a student needs a firm background in mechanical engineering and materials science to understand materials and dynamics.

The Engineering Pathway Portal to the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) brings together quality engineering education materials for from all over the internet allowing teachers to search all of these documents in a single location. Each month during the year in the Pre-Engineering Times, the Engineering Pathway will highlight one or more engineering activities available on the collection related to the months theme. This month's activity is from the TeachEngineering Digital Library, which is a part of the Engineering Pathway.

This month, the Engineering Pathway and TeachEngineering would also like to announce the Premier Award for K-12 Engineering Curriculum — a biennial international award recognizing creation of outstanding K-12 engineering curriculum. You are encouraged to submit your original and creative high-quality, classroom-tested engineering lessons and activities for consideration for the award. Winning curriculum will be made available, free of charge, to all teachers and students through the Engineering Pathway and the TeachEngineering digital libraries. The winner receives a plaque or trophy; a $1,000 cash award; recognition at ASEE, NSTA or ITEA conferences; recognition on the TeachEngineering and Engineering Pathway digital library websites; and $1,500 towards registration, travel and accommodations to attend one annual U.S. STEM education conference (ASEE, NSTA, ITEA) within a year of receiving the award. Entries are due October 15, 2008, by 5pm MST.

For more information on what mechanical engineers do, visit the Mechanical Engineering Education Community Page on the Engineering Pathway.