What is Engineering?
CONCEPTS
• Science is the study of the natural world,
while technology is the study of how
humans develop new products to meet
needs and wants.
• Teams of people can accomplish more
than one individual working alone.
Introduction to Engineering
• Scientists investigate
• Engineers create
• Technologies = products and processes
created by an engineer and often used by
a scientist
• Knowledge of science and math is
necessary for the creation of new
technologies
What is Engineering?
CONCEPTS
• Technological change is illustrated through
inventions, innovations, and the evolution
of technological artifacts, processes, and
systems.
• Technology can have both positive and
negative consequences – social, cultural,
economical, political, and environmental
consequences.
What is Engineering?
CONCEPTS
• Engineers, designers, and engineering
technologists are needed in high demand
for the development of future technology
to meet societal needs and wants.
• An engineering notebook is used to
record original ideas or designs.
• A portfolio is an organized collection of
best works.
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Agriculture
The raising of crops and animals for food,
feed, fiber, fuel, or other useful products.
• Artifact
A human-made object.
• Biotechnology
All technology connected with plant and
animal life.
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Communication
The transmission of information through a
common system of symbols, signs, behavior,
speech, writing, or signals
• Construction
The act or process of building, erecting, or
constructing buildings, roads, or other
structures
• Energy
The ability to do work; one of the basic
resources used by a technological system
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Engineering
Using technological and scientific
knowledge to solve practical problems
• Environment
The surroundings in which a person, animal,
or plant lives
• Ergonomics
The study of workplace equipment design or
how to arrange and design devices,
machines, or workspace so that people and
things interact safely and most efficiently
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Industrial
Of, relating to, or resulting from industry
• Invention
A new product, system, or process that has
never existed before, created by study and
experimentation
• Innovation
An improvement of an existing technological
product, system, or method of doing
something
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Manufacturing
The process of making a raw material into a
finished product; especially in large
quantities
• Math
The science of patterns and order and the
study of measurement, properties, and the
relationships of quantities using numbers
and symbols
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Nanotechnology
The science and technology of building
devices, such as electronic circuits, from
single atoms and molecules
• Process
Human activities used to create, invent,
design, transform, produce, control,
maintain, and use products or systems;
a sequence of actions that combines
resources to produce an output
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Science
The study of our natural world through
observation, identification, description,
experimental investigation, and theoretical
explanations
• System
A group of interacting, interrelated, or
interdependent elements/parts that function
together as a whole to accomplish a goal
What is Engineering?
Key Terms
• Technology
The way people use resources to meet their
wants and needs
• Transportation
The process by which passengers or
goods are moved or delivered from one
place to another
What is Engineering?
Essential Questions
1) What is the purpose of a
portfolio for a student?
2) What is the purpose of a
portfolio for an engineer?
3) Why is it important for engineers
to document their work in their
engineering notebook?
What is Engineering?
Essential Questions
4) List some ways our lives are
affected by engineers?
5) What is the difference between
an invention and an innovation?
6) How does the use of technology
affect the way that you live?
Introduction to Engineering:
What Do Engineers Do?
What is Science?
What is Technology?
What is Engineering?
What is Mathematics?
What is STEM?
Scientists
Technologists
Investigate our
natural world
Apply science and
math to designs
STEM
Working together
to solve problems
based on societal
needs and wants
Mathematicians
Use numbers and symbols
to solve problems
Engineers
Create our
designed world
How are each of them needed to
Create a Product?
Example
Pencil
Science
Discovery of
graphite and
the fact that
rubber
(an eraser)
will remove
graphite
Technology
Creating a
writing device
that doesn’t
use ink
Engineering
Designing a
device with a
graphite insert,
an exterior
holder, and an
attached eraser
Math
What is the
optimal
length,
diameter,
or shape for
the device?
Needs and Wants…
What are our human needs?
PHYSICAL
PHYSICAL
NEEDS:
NEEDS:
BIOLOGICAL
NEEDS:
PSYCHOLOGICAL
NEEDS:
• Basic shelter
• Water
• Family
• Basic clothing
• Food
• Friends
• Can you think
of more?
• Can you think
of more?
• Can you think of
more?
Needs and Wants…
What are our human wants?
PHYSICAL
WANTS:
BIOLOGICAL
WANTS:
PSYCHOLOGICAL
WANTS:
• Nice house
• Fresh water
• Talk with family
• Nice car
• Fancy food
• See friends
• Nice clothes
• Healthy living
• Entertainment
• Can you think
of more?
• Can you think
of more?
• Can you think of
more?
Engineering
Engineering uses
scientific, technological, and
mathematical knowledge
to solve practical problems.
Engineers Do Many Things
• Invent – Develop a new product, system, or
process that has never existed before
• Innovate – Improve an existing technological
product, system, or method
Design
Build
Invent
Analyze
Orchestrate
Create
Conceive
Improve Evaluate
Engineers Work to Solve Many
Kinds of Problems
• An electrical engineer may design
a GPS system for your vehicle.
• A pharmaceutical/chemical engineer
may find a cure for disease.
• A computer engineer may build
a computer the size of your watch.
• A mechanical engineer may create
a robot to discover water on a planet.
• An agricultural engineer may evaluate the
effects of global warming on food production.
Engineers make our lives better
Discussion Questions
• What product or system would
make your life better?
• Would this be considered an
invention or an innovation?
• What types of engineers might
work on this project?
Image Resources
Microsoft, Inc. (2008). Clip Art. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx