Tennessee Science Grade 7

Unit 4: Physical Science: Motion and Forces

Fields of engineering

Introduction:
Engineering is one of the many career paths available to science students. Men and women who study engineering find themselves engaged in work in diverse areas such as chemistry, biology, manufacturing, and materials, to name just a few of the places where they can apply their skills. Investigate some of the fields where engineers work and learn more about this field of study.

Task:
Use the resources below to conduct research about different career paths available to engineers. You may choose to review professional journals and magazines and interview engineers in the community to learn about this professional path as well.

Use the information you gather to compile a spreadsheet about engineering as a profession. Create a class spreadsheet using these headings:

• Engineering Field
• Education Required
• Applicable Industries
• Types of Skills Needed
• Description of Work Accomplished
• Web Links
• Other Information

Add other headings to the spreadsheet to incorporate other research such as how the engineers in the fields you researched protect the environment. Complete a row in the spreadsheet for each type of engineering field researched.

Select two to four entries in the spreadsheet and respond to the following prompts for each engineering field.

1. Where can someone interested in studying this type of engineering go to college?
2. What level of education is required to pursue a career in this engineering field?
3. In what types of industries might this type of engineer find a career path?
4. What do professionals in this field of engineering do to promote or protect the environment?
5. How would this type of engineering allow me to find personal and professional success?

Time:
Research and gather information over a semester or year.

Possible Resources:
Visit these sites to learn about career paths in engineering: http://www.asce.org/kids/whatis.cfm
http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistrystudentfaqs/f/chemeng.htm
http://www.asee.org/precollege/
http://www.bmes.org/careers.asp
http://www.engineergirl.org/CMS/Careers.aspx
http://www.tryengineering.org/explore.php
http://www.energy4me.org/careers/careers.htm
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/careers/