Humans have become the most dominant animal on the planet. They have adaptations providing advantages over other animals. They have even out competed other species in their own genus. Humans have opposable forefingers and thumbs for superior dexterity, very large brains for intelligence, walk upright with bipedal locomotion to cover distances more…

Innovation has been an important aspect of economic and scientific success in the United States for decades. Hobday, Coffey, Saalfeld, and Colwell (2011) suggested that, in order to produce innovative ideas, one must have a design-thinking mentality. This article provides the readers with an example of brainstorming techniques that have been…

With the introduction of "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"), teachers have been called to find meaningful and engaging ways to teach science content while incorporating engineering practices and, to a lesser extent, computing and computational thinking. The task becomes even more complex when they also have to…

The focus on construction in T&E education has drastically changed. This article presents a series of topics and design-based labs that can be taught at various grade levels to integrate STEM concepts while also increasing students' overall awareness of construction and structural technologies.

Innovation is central to modern industry. It can and should be taught in schools. Not only does providing students a background in innovation benefit them later in life and industry, but it also promotes and further develops their critical thinking and collaboration skills. Despite the need for innovation, many have struggled with how to teach it.…

Humans by their very nature are users of tools, materials, and processes as a part of their survival and existence. As humans have progressed over time, their civilizations and societies have changed beyond imagination and have moved from hunters and gatherers of food and materials for survival to sophisticated societies with complex social and…