The Children Designing and Engineering(TM) units integrate technology, science and math using a design and problem solving approach to learning. CD&ETM units challenge students to solve practical problems related to real, work-world settings. Developed in partnership with several New Jersey businesses, each unit lets students experience the planning, designing, development, and operation of their own classroom businesses and services. The twelve Teacher Guide s and accompanying multimedia supports offer teachers strong help in implementing this creative, problem-solving curriculum.

As young businesspeople, students must carry out investigations, generate ideas, plan a course of action, make and test things, and reflect upon what they have learned. Units begin with the posing of a Big Challenge (usually related to product or service development), and the ensuing four to six weeks of lessons focus on achieving a solution to that challenge. As active investigators and designers, students become the owners of knowledge rather than passive recipients of information.

In a recent review by West Ed, the internationally recognized Educational Research and Development company had this to say about Children Designing and Engineering:

Order by classroom sets or as separate components

After a safari park video tape, pupils design and make a classroom safari park. They learn about African animals, natural and built environments, structures, and systems for communication and transportation; transform their room; then plan an openting day celebration and sell tickets to cover the costs of food and souvenirs.

Bright Ideas Playhouse
Product # CDE-02

Students explore properties of light, then apply what they've learned to design and make shadow puppet plays based on familiar nursery rhymes, to which they invite guests and charge admission.

Earth-Friendly Greeting
Product # CDE-03

Students study the waste stream and recycle paper products into new paper, from which they design and make original greeting cards to sell at a class holiday boutique.

Cranberry Harvest Festival
Product # CDE-05

A video visit to a berry farm sets the stage for hands-on exploration of the special qualities of cranberries, and the processes by which berry products arrive at the marketplace. Students propose devices and methods to harvest, sort and grade berries, then plan and stage a cranberry festival.

Optional printed student portfolios, unit specific:
Classroom Set of 24 available for your convenience $120.00

Students design and make a visitors' center for Camp Koala, a new home for an endangered species that is being planned for a local safari park. Topics include endangerment of animals and impacts of technology as well as technical methods for creating moving displays. They stage a "Koala Gala" to publicize and raise funds for wildlife preservation.

Say-It-With-Light, Inc.
Product # CDE-08

As employees of a communication company, students learn about the roles of scientists, designers, engineers and marketing professionals in developing products. They investigate light and communication, then work as interdisciplanary teams to propose new products that use light for communication and present their ideas to the company's directors.

Juice Caboose
Product # CDE-11

Students learn how companies gauge consumer preferences and explore the physiology of taste in order to propose a new combination juice drink, then mass-produce, package, promote and launch the product.

Suds Shop
Product # CDE-12

Students delve more deeply into germs and hygiene, then focus their attention on soaps and detergents. They learn about the chemistry of mixtures, suspensions and emulsions; investigate consumer product preferences, packaging, promotion, pricing and profit; then design and make soaps for the "Suds Shop."