Location: Rocklin
Day & Time: Wednesday 12:30-1:40
Grade: 5th-6th
Mentor: Frizzle Frizzle
Email: inspiredbyamg@gmail.com
Magic School Bus: Engineering Lab
Magic School Bus: Engineering Lab is a project-based engineering course that challenges students to think creatively, solve problems, and apply engineering principles through hands-on design experiences. Students will explore how engineers use innovation, experimentation, and critical thinking to develop solutions to real-world challenges. Through collaborative work, structured problem-solving, and iterative design, students will strengthen skills in analysis, communication, perseverance, and technical reasoning. The course is designed to build engineering confidence and independence while guiding students toward the successful completion of a long-term engineering project that demonstrates creativity, refinement, and mastery.
Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will:
apply the engineering design process to analyze and solve real-world engineering challenges
design, construct, test, evaluate, and improve prototypes using a variety of materials and tools
explore engineering concepts related to force, motion, energy, structures, stability, systems, and simple machines
collect, organize, interpret, and apply data to improve engineering solutions
develop creativity, resilience, adaptability, and perseverance through iterative design
strengthen collaboration, communication, leadership, and teamwork skills
maintain detailed engineering journals that document research, sketches, procedures, test data, revisions, and reflections
design and refine a long-term engineering project using experimentation and evidence-based decision-making
present and explain engineering solutions using appropriate technical vocabulary and design reasoning
Activities:
Students will participate in hands-on engineering investigations and collaborative design challenges that emphasize experimentation, innovation, and critical thinking.
During the first semester, students will explore engineering concepts, materials, and systems through weekly design challenges, including bridge and tower construction, vehicle and ramp testing, structural engineering, chain-reaction systems, protective device design, and problem-solving scenarios based on real-world applications. Students will brainstorm solutions, develop prototypes, test designs, analyze performance data, and revise their work based on evidence and observation.
During the second semester, students will transition into a long-term engineering project focused on sustained design, experimentation, troubleshooting, and refinement. Students will independently or collaboratively develop a project through multiple stages of planning, testing, redesign, and evaluation. The course will culminate in a final presentation in which students will demonstrate their completed engineering projects, explain their design process, and reflect on the effectiveness of their solutions.
Materials:
Students are expected to bring writing utensils and any assigned materials to each class. Most instructional materials and engineering supplies will be provided by the instructor, including engineering journals for documenting research, sketches, testing data, revisions, and reflections throughout the course. Additional materials may occasionally be requested, such as cardboard, recycled materials, craft supplies, or other project-building materials used during engineering challenges and long-term project development.
“What is memorized is easily forgotten, what is understood is never forgotten.” ~Dr. Adler
All classes are full-year classes. Students enrolled in a Fall Semester class will automatically enroll for the Spring Semester in December to ensure their place in the class. Pricing is per semester.
