Work in Progress - Introducing Engineering to Middle-School Students During a Green Summer Institute

This work-in-progress paper describes the math and engineering module of the Go Green Institute at Binghamton University. This institute is a 10-day summer program for middle school students and was developed in an effort to increase the level of understanding of the scientific aspects of environmental sustainability and to promote interest in science, technology, engineering, and math careers. The Go Green Institute is comprised of three course modules; (1) Biology/Life Science, (2) Chemistry/Physical Science, and (3) Math/Engineering, all with a focus on climate change and sustainability issues. Along with these course modules the institute also included field trips, guest speakers, and team projects that were all related to the institute's goals. The focus of this paper is on the math and engineering module of the institute. The curriculum of this module will be presented and its effectiveness will be discussed. In addition, a plan for an assessment of the effect of the curriculum on the student's interest in the field of engineering will be presented.