Communicating like an Engineer

Communication is key in life.  Think about the many ways there are to communicate...verbally, nonverbally, through writing.  This is the challenge I am posing to my 5th grade students this week.  What does it mean to communicate like an engineer and how can we become more effective communicators?

For the first lesson, we discussed different types of communication and gave examples of each.  We also spoke about how being a good listener is a type of communication.  Many times, my students ask me why we have to write so much so we had a great discussion about the types of writing that engineers do.  From letters to reports to emails, we discussed the formalities of each type of writing. 

The first activity that we did today really showed the students the importance of precise communication.  You would want your architect to precisely describe how to build your house, right?

I first passed out bags of Lego's.  Every bag had a matching partner (with the same pieces).  The students paired up and partner 1 had to build something with the Lego's and then explain to partner 2 how to replicate the build.  This was done while the students were sitting back to back.  The look of surprise when they compared the creations was great!  Only two groups described precisely how to build the tower, but the most learning came from those who did not succeed.  After the reveal, I noticed students talking about what they could have said.  I also heard a lot of, "But, I meant."  It was this stem that lead us to really analyze how to give directions and what it means to be precise. 

Take a look at a video that shows two students interacting with each other.

I plan on redoing this activity at the end of the mini-unit to see how much the students have improved.  It will be great to hear how they describe things once they have had a chance to experience the different communication styles.

Up next...we will be going through some experiences that allow the students to see how different feedback can both encourage and dissuade "employees" from working to their highest potential. 

Here's to STEM!
Mrs. Giran