Although there is not yet broad agreement on the full set of core ideas in engineering, an emerging consensus is that design is a central practice of engineering; indeed, design is the focus of the vast majority of K-12 engineering curricula currently in use. Engineers not only design new technologies, but they also sometimes fabricate, operate, inspect, and maintain them. However, from a teaching and learning point of view, it is the iterative cycle of design that offers the greatest potential for applying science knowledge in the classroom and engaging in engineering practices. The components of this first core idea include understanding how engineering problems are defined and delimited, how models can be used to develop and refine possible solutions to a design problem, and what methods can be employed to optimize a design. The second core idea calls for students to explore the links among engineering, technology, science, and society.
ETS1: Engineering Design
How do engineers solve problems?
ETS2: Links Among Engineering, Technology, Science, and Society
How are engineering, technology, science, and society interconnected?