Engineering Education for the Next Generation: A Nature-Inspired Approach

This was so much more than what I expected. I am a HS science teacher and have a semester-long course for an introduction to engineering. This text has provided an plethora of ideas, examples and activities that are beyond the more 'traditional' thoughts of engineering (buildings, bridges, cars, blueprints, etc.). The book even includes a chapter on nature and computer science. I highly recommend this book to other teachers involved in science and engineering classes or even those that want to inspire their students to be better problem-solvers.

In my new teaching position, I am a STEM teacher and engineering is a huge part of what I need to teach students. I began reading this book hoping for inspiration and maybe some ideas for including biomimicry in my lesson plans. I had no idea that this book would become the FOUNDATION for my curriculum next year! The book is full of innovative ideas and photos, and lessons which will engage and excite students as they learn about engineering and DO engineering with a nature-inspired focus. I can't wait to implement all that I am learning about in this treasure of a book!

Gearing up for another year of teaching Biomimicry to my middle school students, I find Stier's book by my side yet again, ear-marked and annotated to bring the most interesting and salient examples of biomimicry into my classroom. There's so much here to support your work. Sam continues to inform the field with his contributions to AskNature.org among many others. You are guided by a pro into a powerful field that fascinates and inspires young and old alike.

Biomimicry - a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human problems - is an exciting approach to engineering. But how do we teach it to our students? Sam Stier's new book lays it out in an easy-to-read format sprinkled with fascinating examples of biomimicry and practical strategies for teaching it. Whether you are a first grade teacher trying to connect your students to nature through simple biomimicry activities, a middle school STEM lab teacher guiding your students through the design process, or a high school economics teacher looking for engaging ways to infuse the concept of sustainability into your curriculum, Engineering Education for the Next Generation presents a multitude of fresh new ideas to inspire you and your students.

Mr. Stier brings an Ancient Joy to the Art of Education.

Amazing book that offers a fresh insight into nature and its feats of engineering.

Engineering Education for the Next Generation: A Nature-Inspired Approach allowed my learners to engage in authentic research and the creative aspects of scientific study that is usually missing from the general science curriculum. While we were not able to carry out the experimental or engineering design processess of biomimicry due to distance learning, we were able to engage in divergent, interdisciplinary thinking to create solutions to problems of climate change. The book offers an accessible way to understand the process of biomimicry as well as implement it within the classroom. It shows how to encourage thinking that leads to synthesis of new ideas by using what fascinates young learners about nature. I really appreciated that there were science concepts such as compression and tension that were explained in terms of how to clearly present them to students so they may develop an internal understanding rather than memorize the definition (which they would soon forget).

I never thought I would find slug mucus so intriguing, but like many other biomimetic connections presented in the book, the author does a great job of capturing your interest and keeping it. As the title suggests, it really is inspirational! Highly recommended read for.... really anyone, though especially for STEM students, educators, and life-long learners. This book has opened up a whole new way of thinking for me as an engineer, and certainly a deeper appreciation of the world around me and the potentials yet to be discovered!

There are plenty of books which describe biomimicry, but few which put biomimicry across in a practical way you can do it yourself ... and even less books written specifically for teachers in school education. So Sam's book is a real game-changer. Why do I write this? Because as an educator I have read and used Sam's book to deliver real learning with students. I can see how they respond to the hands-on, real-life, activities detailed in the book. Everything is clearly described so that as a teacher, with this book, you are ready to deliver a full curriculum of nature-inspired learning for engineering. I've also used activities from this book to teach other subjects, especially great for STEM work. Thoroughly recommended and hope there will be more books like this.

I never thought I would find slug mucus so intriguing, but like many other biomimetic connections presented in the book, the author does a great job of capturing your interest and keeping it. As the title suggests, it really is inspirational! Highly recommended read for.... really anyone, though especially for STEM students, educators, and life-long learners. This book has opened up a whole new way of thinking for me as an engineer, and certainly a deeper appreciation of the world around me and the potentials yet to be discovered!