They apply what they learn to the design of boats, cars, and steel can rovers. Each student is assigned a role as either a facilities engineer, development engineer, test engineer, or project engineer, and is given responsibilities paralleling those of engineers in industry. The students demonstrate their designs, communicate their results, and receive recognition for their efforts. An important part of the program is the involvement of a volunteer from the engineering profession. The engineer and the teacher must work together to determine what level of involvement will be necessary to make the program successful.
Some elementary teachers are less comfortable with the teaching of math and science.
In this case, the engineer might actually implement the lesson plans on pre-determined days. For those who are more comfortable and wish to retain the teacher role, the engineer can join in when the students are in the design and building phases, and simply play the role of a consultant or even a consumer. In either case, the engineer will probably want to spend some time talking with the students about the work of a professional engineer, and possibly share some examples of their own work. The A World in Motion kit contains a Teacher's Manual in binder format, boxes with all manipulatives needed to complete the activities, a letter to parents, and dynamic posters. It also includes a student certificate that can be reproduced.