A World in Motion and A World in Motion II
are two programs developed under the leadership of the
Society of Automotive Engineers that are designed to
enable teachers, supported by engineers, scientists, and
other technical professionals, to give students in grades
4-6 and 7-8 respectively hands-on inquiry-based
experiences in which they learn about certain physical
principles. In AWIM II especially, they also learn about
the many aspects and challenges of engineering design.
Because engineering bridges the gap between pure
science and the "real world", the students in A
World in Motion II become familiar with its many strands:
science, technology, planning, design, making
presentations, marketing, etc. The programs are thus
truly interdisciplinary, involving the academic
disciplines of science, mathematics, technology, social
studies, and language arts.
The educational experiences provided by the
instructional materials and led by teachers benefit from
the presence of volunteer technical professionals who can
make one-time visits, can play a more frequent consulting
role, or can even become mentors in the classroom.
In the elementary-school program, there is a
partnership between a teacher and a volunteer. In the
middle-school program, the partnership is established
between school administrators, and a business or
organization. In both cases, the partnership is a
valuable feature and is key to the success of the
program.
Becoming Involved
The two programs offer volunteer engineers,
scientists, and other technical professionals who wish to
become involved in science and technology education,
grades 4-8, a direct path into the classroom that doesn't
require the presence of either local systemic reform, an
organizational structure provided by some national
program, or a local organization willing to support
extensive involvement in the schools, as do most of the
other Example Programs described at this Website. As
such, it can be (and often has been) the initial
involvement for many scientists and engineers who want to
"test the waters".
Overview
Goals. The goals of these two programs are
1) to educate children about certain physical
principles, 2) to introduce them to the nature of
engineering design and the excitement that its
challenges can generate through teamwork, 3) to
provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities
for students, and 4) to involve engineers,
scientists, and other technical professionals and
their employing organizations in support of
scientific and technical education in grades 4-8.
Strategy and Scope. These two programs are
designed to teach children in grades 4-6 and 7-8
about certain physical problems and many aspects
of engineering design. To accomplish these goals,
engineers, scientists, and other professionals go
into the classroom in support of teachers who are
using these materials. These professionals are
usually supported by their employing
organizations or other interested organizations.
More than 33,000 elementary-grade kits have been
distributed, while the middle-school kits are,
less than a year after their publication,
spreading rapidly to middle-school classrooms.
Learning Experiences for Grades 4-6. A
World in Motion is a set of three science-based
engineering problems for grades 4, 5, and 6, each
problem taking 2-3 weeks. They are taught by
classroom teachers, usually in partnership with
engineers from their local communities. It is an
example of a way in which engineers (or other
technical professionals) with a desire to support
elementary science and technology education but
no experience can, on their own, take a first
step into a classroom.
Details
Learning Experiences for Grades 7 and 8. A
World in Motion II is intended to be a set of two
rather complex engineering design challenges for
grades 7 and 8. Each unit takes about 8 weeks and
involves science, technology, social studies, and
language arts. The grade-7 challenge became
available in the fall of 1996, and the grade-8
challenge is expected to appear during the fall
of 1997. For each of these challenges, local
professionals contribute to the students'
understanding of the engineering design
experience. The involvement of these
professionals reflects a partnership between
their employer or an organization with which they
are associated and the school or school system.
Details
Funding. The development and field testing
of A World in Motion II was financed by grants
from the National Science Foundation. The
publication and dissemination of both sets of
materials is financed by the SAE Foundation (an
organization to which both businesses and
individuals in the many areas related to mobility
on land, sea, air, or space contribute).
Organizational
Information. The Society of
Automotive Engineers is a professional society of
more than 71,000 members and 55 local sections in
North America. Its membership includes a wide
range of technical professionals related to land,
sea, air, and space vehicles.
Details
Contact Information. Further information
about A World in Motion and A World in Motion II
can be obtained from
World in Motion
Society of Automotive Engineers
400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale, PA 15096-0001
Phone: 412-772-8513
FAX: 412-776-2103
E-mail: awim@sae.org
