Civil War Turning Point
There is widespread disagreement over the turning point of the American
Civil War. The idea of an American Civil War turning point is an event after which most observers would agree that the eventual
outcome was inevitable. While the Battle of Gettysburg is the most widely cited (often in combination with Battle of Vicksburg),
there are several other arguable turning points in the American Civil War. Possibilities are presented here in chronological
A Civil War Turning Point, furthermore, should not be confused
with a Civil War Initial Turning Point and even a Civil War Major or Pivotal Turning Point. Only the
positive arguments for each are given.
the time of the event, the fog of war often makes it impossible to recognize all of the implications of any
one victory. Hindsight well after the fact reveals the endpoint and all the developments that led up to it. In most cases,
contemporary observers may lack confidence in predicting a turning point. In the Civil War, many of the turning points cited
by historians would not have been recognized as such at the time.
|Civil War Turning Point Map
|Civil War Turning Point
Confederate victory in First Battle of Bull Run (July 1861)
The First Battle of Bull Run, on July 21, 1861, was the first major land battle of the war. Until this
time, the North was generally confident about its prospects for quickly crushing the rebellion with an easy, direct strike
against the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. The embarrassing rout of Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell's army disabused
them of this notion. The North was shocked and realized that this was going to be a lengthier, bloodier war than they had
anticipated. It steeled their determination. President Abraham Lincoln almost immediately signed legislation that increased the army by 500,000 men and allowed for their term of service
to be for the duration of the war. Congress quickly passed the Confiscation Act of 1861, which provided for freeing slaves
whose masters participated in the rebellion, which was the first attempt to define the war legislatively as a matter of ending
slavery. If the Confederacy had hoped before this that they could sap Northern determination and quietly slip away from the
Union with a minor military investment, their victory at Bull Run, ironically, destroyed those hopes. (First Battle of Manassas: A Major Turning Point?)
Confederate invasion of Kentucky (September 1861)
By mid-1861, eleven states seceded, but four more slave-owning states remained in the Union—Missouri, Kentucky,
Maryland, and Delaware. Kentucky was considered the most at risk; the state legislature had declared neutrality in the dispute,
which was a moderately pro-Confederate stance. The loss of Kentucky (Kentucky Civil War History: HOMEPAGE) would have been catastrophic because of its control of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers and its position from which the
vital state of Ohio could be invaded. Lincoln wrote, "I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game."
On September 3, 1861, Confederate General Leonidas Polk extended his defensive
line north from Tennessee when Gideon Pillow occupied Columbus, Kentucky (in response to Ulysses S. Grant's occupation of
Belmont, Missouri, directly across the Mississippi River). Polk followed that by moving through the Cumberland Gap and occupying
parts of southeastern Kentucky. This violation of state neutrality enraged many of its citizens; the state legislature, overriding
the veto of the governor, requested assistance from the federal government. Kentucky was never again a safe area of operation
for Confederate forces. Ironically, Polk's actions were not directed by the Confederate government. Thus, almost by accident,
the Confederacy was placed at an enormous strategic disadvantage. Indeed, the early Union successes in the war's western theater
(their only non-naval successes until 1863) are directly related to Polk's blunder.
Union capture of Forts Henry and Donelson (February 1862)
The capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, and the Confederate surrender at the latter, were the first significant Union victories and the start of a mostly successful
campaign in the western theater. General Ulysses S. Grant completed both actions by February 16, 1862, and by doing so, opened the Tennessee
and Cumberland Rivers as Union supply lines and avenues of invasion to Tennessee, Mississippi, and eventually Georgia. The
loss of control of these rivers was a significant strategic defeat for the Confederacy. This was the start of offensive actions
by Grant that, with the sole exception of the Battle of Shiloh, would continue for the rest of the war.
Union victory in Battle of Antietam (September 1862)
But more strategically, George B.
McClellan's victory was just convincing enough that Lincoln used it as justification for announcing his Emancipation Proclamation
(13th Amendment, U.S. Constitution, and President Abraham Lincoln); he had been counseled by his Cabinet
to keep this action confidential until a Union battlefield victory could be announced. Otherwise, it might seem merely
an act of desperation. Along with its immense effect on American history and race relations, the Emancipation Proclamation
effectively prevented the British Empire from recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate government. The British public had
strong anti-slavery beliefs and would not have tolerated joining the pro-slavery side of a fight where slavery was now a prominent
issue. This removed one of the Confederacy's only hopes of surviving a lengthy war against
the North's suffocating naval blockade. Support from France was still a possibility, but it never came to pass. (The Trent Affair, Preventing Diplomatic Recognition of the Confederacy, and American Civil War and International Diplomacy.) Antietam and two other coincident failed actions—Braxton
Bragg's invasion of Kentucky (the "high-water mark of the Confederacy in the western theater") and Earl Van Dorn's advance
against Corinth, Mississippi—represented the Confederacy's only attempt at coordinated strategic offensives in multiple
theaters of war.
|American Civil War Strategy Map
|(Civil War Turning Point Map)
After winning the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Army of Northern Virginia lost Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson due to a friendly fire accident. His death meant a blow to the morale of the Confederate army, as they lost one of
their most popular and successful commanders. One month later, Robert E. Lee had no general with Jackson's audacity available
at the Battle of Gettysburg. Many historians argue that Jackson could have succeeded in seizing key battlefield positions
that his replacements were unable or unwilling to take.
Union capture of Vicksburg and victory in Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)
On July 4, 1863, the Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River,
Vicksburg, Mississippi, surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. The previous day, Maj. Gen. George Meade had decisively defeated
Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. These twin events are the most often cited as the turning
points of the war.
The loss of Vicksburg, a result
from the Siege and Battle of Vicksburg, split the Confederacy, denying its control of the Mississippi River
and preventing supplies from Texas and Arkansas that could sustain the war effort from passing
east. As President Abraham Lincoln had stated, "See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the
key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.... We can take all the northern ports of the
Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg." Furthermore, the 30,000 soldiers who surrendered with the city were a significant
loss to the cause.
The Battle of Gettysburg was the first major defeat suffered by Lee. It repelled his second invasion of the North and inflicted serious
casualties on the Army of Northern Virginia. In fact, the National Park Service marks the point at which Pickett's Charge
collapsed—the copse of trees on Cemetery Ridge—as the high-water mark of the Confederacy. From this point onward,
Lee attempted no more strategic offensives. Although two more years of fighting and a new, aggressive general (Grant) was
required, the Army of the Potomac had the initiative and the eventual end at Appomattox Court House seems inevitable in hindsight.
Gettysburg was seen by military and civilian observers as a great battle, but those in the North had little idea
that two more bloody years would be required to finish the war. Southern morale was not strongly affected by the defeat because
many assumed that Lee had suffered only a temporary setback and would resume his winning ways against ineffective Union generals.
Some economic historians have pointed to the fact that after the loss at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the market for
Confederate war bonds dropped precipitously. "European investors gave Johnny Reb about a 42 percent chance of winning the
war in early 1863 prior to the battle of Gettysburg. ... However, news of the severity of costly Confederate defeats at Gettysburg/Vicksburg
led to a sell-off in rebel bonds and the probability of a Southern victory fell to about 15 percent by the end of 1863."
Union victory in Third Battle of Chattanooga (November 1863)
Military historian J.F.C. Fuller contended that Grant's defeat of Braxton
Bragg's army at Chattanooga was the turning point of the war because it reduced the Confederacy to the Atlantic coast and
opened the way for Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea.
Grant's appointment as Union general-in-chief (March 1864)
Following the victory at Chattanooga, Grant was appointed general-in-chief
of all Union armies on March 12, 1864. Leaving Sherman in command of forces in the western theater, he moved his headquarters
east to Virginia. Previous Union commanders in the critical eastern theater had not mounted effective campaigns, or pursued
Confederate forces after gaining rare victories. Grant devised a coordinated strategy that would strike at the
Confederacy from multiple directions: against Lee near Richmond; in the Shenandoah Valley; against Johnston and Atlanta; against
railroad supply lines in West Virginia; and against the port of Mobile. In May, Grant launched the Overland Campaign, putting the Confederates under an unremitting pressure that was maintained
until the fall of their capital, Richmond, and the surrender of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Union capture of Atlanta (September
Some contend that the successful siege of Atlanta by the Union was the
turning point, since the city was the most critical point in the South. This victory lifted the spirits of the North and helped
re-elect Lincoln, in addition to its military result of crippling transportation in the heart of the Confederacy, and nearly
destroying the city.
Lincoln's reelection (November 1864)
The re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864 is beyond the final point
at which a positive conclusion for the Confederacy could have been contemplated. His opponent, former general George B. McClellan,
ran on a Democratic Party platform that favored a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy. Although McClellan disavowed
this platform, the South would have likely seen his election as a strategic victory.
(Related reading and references listed at bottom of page.)
Fields of Honor: Pivotal Battles of the Civil War,
by Edwin C. Bearss (Author), James McPherson (Introduction). Description: Bearss,
a former chief historian of the National Parks Service and internationally recognized American Civil War historian, chronicles
14 crucial battles, including Fort Sumter, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, Sherman's march through the
Carolinas, and Appomattox--the battles ranging between 1861 and 1865; included is an introductory chapter describing John
Brown's raid in October 1859. Bearss describes the
terrain, tactics, strategies, personalities, the soldiers and the commanders. (He personalizes the generals and politicians,
sergeants and privates.) Continued below...
The text is augmented by 80 black-and-white photographs and 19 maps. It is like touring the battlefields
without leaving home. A must for every one of America's countless Civil War buffs,
this major work will stand as an important reference and enduring legacy of a great historian for generations to come. Also
available in hardcover: Fields of Honor: Pivotal Battles of the Civil War.
Recommended Reading: Turning Points of the
Civil War. Description: James A. Rawley examines the seven turning points of the Civil War: the course
of the slaveholding borderland in 1861, First Bull Run, the Trent affair, Antietam, the Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg
and Vicksburg, and the presidential election of 1864. Continued below...
Among the topic unifying his book are slavery, democracy, British policy, military organization and progress,
and the roles of Lincoln, McClellan, Davis, and Lee. The afterword looks at the Civil War itself as a turning point in American
history. In a preface to this Bison Book, James A. Rawley, considers recent books that sustain the idea of turning points
during the Civil War. Review: James Rawley does a magnificent job breaking down the civil war into 7 major turning points.
We all understand the impact that any civil war has on a country and how it becomes a turning point in that country’s
history forever. What Rawley does is tries to answer the question of why the American Civil War ended the way it did and how
easily it could have favored the other side. He takes an in depth look at the Trent Affair, Bull Run, Gettysburg and Vicksburg,
Lincoln's last election during wartime, the Border states, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the battle of Antietam. All
of these he lists as major turning points and gives concrete, specific details to back up his thoughts. He gives quotes from
the time and from speeches given throughout the country and also dips into news articles not only from the U.S., but also
from Europe. It is very simple reading and also enjoyable i would recommend it to anyone.
HIGHLY Recommended Viewing! The American Civil War (DVD Megaset)
(2009) (A&E Television Networks-The History Channel) (14 DVDs) (1697 minutes) (28 Hours 17 Minutes
+ extras). Experience for yourself the historical and personal impact of the Civil War in a way that only HISTORY
can present in this moving megaset™, filled with over 28 hours of American Civil War content. This
MEGASET is the most comprehensive American Civil War compilation to date and is the mother of all Civil War documentaries.
A multifaceted look at “The War Between the States,” this definitive collection brings the most legendary Civil
War battles, and the soldiers and leaders who fought them, vividly to life. From Gettysburg and Antietam to Shiloh, and led
by the likes of Sherman, McClellan, Grant, Beauregard, Lee, Davis, and Jackson, delve into the full military and political
contexts of these men, their armies, and the clashes between them. Continued below...
Almost 150 years after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House,
the unexpected secrets and little-known stories from Civil War history are divulged with fascinating detail. Cutting-edge
CGI and accurate dramatizations illustrate archival letters and original diary entries, and the country’s most renowned
historians describe the less familiar incidents that add perspective and depth to the war that divided a nation. If the DVDs
in this Megaset were purchased separately, it could cost hundreds of dollars. This one-of-a-kind compilation belongs on the
shelf of every Civil War buff, and if you know anyone that is interested in the most costliest and bloodiest war in American
history, buy this, they will love it.
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR contains the following programs:
* The Most Daring Mission Of The Civil War
* April 1865
Detectives: The Civil War (3 Episodes): Antietam, Gettysburg, Shiloh
* Secret Missions Of The Civil War
* The Lost Battle
Of The Civil War
* Tales Of The Gun: Guns Of The Civil War
* Eighty Acres Of Hell
* Investigating History:
Lincoln: Man Or Myth
* Man, Moment, Machine: Lincoln & The Flying, Spying Machine
* Conspiracy?: Lincoln Assassination
High Tech Lincoln
* Sherman’s March
* The Hunt For John Wilkes Booth
* Civil War Combat (4 Episodes): The Hornets’
Nest At Shiloh, The Bloody Lane At Antietam, The Wheatfield At Gettysburg, The Tragedy At Cold Harbor
* Civil War Journal
(8 Episodes): John Brown's War, Destiny At Fort Sumter, The Battle of 1st Bull Run, The 54th Massachusetts, West Point Classmates—Civil
War Enemies, Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Sherman And The March To The Sea
* Full-Length Documentary “Save Our History: Sherman’s Total
* Behind the Scenes Featurettes for “Sherman’s March” and “Lincoln”
FIVE STARS! Recommended
The Civil War: A Narrative, by Shelby Foote (3 Volumes Set) [BOX SET]
(2960 pages) (9.2 pounds). Review: This beautifully
written trilogy of books on the American Civil War is not only a piece of first-rate history, but also a marvelous work of
literature. Shelby Foote brings a skilled novelist's narrative power to this great epic. Many know Foote for his prominent
role as a commentator on Ken Burns's PBS series about the Civil War. These three books, however, are his legacy. His southern
sympathies are apparent: the first volume opens by introducing Confederate President Jefferson Davis, rather than Abraham
Lincoln. But they hardly get in the way of the great story Foote tells. This hefty three volume set should be on the bookshelf
of any Civil War buff. --John Miller. Continued below…
Foote's comprehensive history
of the Civil War includes three compelling volumes: Fort Sumter to Perryville, Fredericksburg
to Meridian, and Red River to Appomattox.
Collected together in a handsome boxed set, this is the perfect gift for any Civil War buff.
Fort Sumter to Perryville
"Here, for a certainty,
is one of the great historical narratives of our century, a unique and brilliant achievement, one that must be firmly placed
in the ranks of the masters." —Van Allen Bradley, Chicago
"Anyone who wants to relive
the Civil War, as thousands of Americans apparently do, will go through this volume with pleasure.... Years from now, Foote's
monumental narrative most likely will continue to be read and remembered as a classic of its kind." —New York Herald Tribune Book Review
Fredericksburg to Meridian
"This, then, is narrative
history—a kind of history that goes back to an older literary tradition.... The writing is superb...one of the historical
and literary achievements of our time." —The Washington
Post Book World
with such meticulous attention to action, terrain, time, and the characters of the various commanders that I understand, at
last, what happened in that battle.... Mr. Foote has an acute sense of the relative importance of events and a novelist's
skill in directing the reader's attention to the men and the episodes that will influence the course of the whole war, without
omitting items which are of momentary interest. His organization of facts could hardly be bettered." —Atlantic
River to Appomattox
"An unparalleled achievement,
an American Iliad, a unique work uniting the scholarship of the historian and the high readability of the first-class novelist."
"I have never read a better, more
vivid, more understandable account of the savage battling between Grant's and Lee's armies.... Foote stays with the human
strife and suffering, and unlike most Southern commentators, he does not take sides. In objectivity, in range, in mastery
of detail in beauty of language and feeling for the people involved, this work surpasses anything else on the subject....
It stands alongside the work of the best of them." —New Republic
Recommended Reading: Chancellorsville and
Gettysburg: An Eyewitness Account of the Pivotal Battles of the Civil War. Description: This edition
is completely reset with large easily readable type. The new maps allow you to follow the battle much better than the originals.
This book is part of a series of 12 short volumes on the land war published in 1882-3. It took congress twenty years to finally
allocate funds to all the documents and communications sorted through. Americans could at last have an inside look at who
actually said or did what, and when. Continued below…
While that massive project was still underway, the publisher of this series
persuaded highly qualified people - most of them participants -- to produce a quick readable history in light of the new information.
M.F. Force ("From Fort Henry to Corinth"), says, "The main source of information
is the official reports of battles and operations. These reports, both National and Confederate, will appear in the series
of volumes Military Reports now in preparation [by] the War Records office in the War Department."
Alexander Webb ("The Peninsula") adds "To be of any practical use, all history,
and particularly military history, must be gradually sifted and reduced to small compass."
Jacob D. Cox ("The March to the Sea - Franklin & Nashville") sums up
purpose and limitations: "The class of readers which has been most in mind [includes] includes the surviving officers and
men who served in the war. [My] aim has been to supplement their personal knowledge by the facts ... of recent research. To
give unity and symmetry to the ... campaigns here told, by examining each in the light of the plans and purposes of the leaders
on both sides. The limits assigned... made it necessary to choose between the narration of incidents which would enliven the
story, and that fullness to strictly military detail which seemed necessary to make the several campaigns clearly intelligible,
and to enable the reader to judge, with some degree of satisfaction, the character of the operations. ...the effort to do
so will give to each a broader understanding of what the great game of war really is."
Editor's Choice: The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns. Review: The
Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns is the most successful public-television miniseries in American history. The 11-hour Civil War didn't just captivate a nation,
reteaching to us our history in narrative terms; it actually also invented a new film language taken from its creator. When
people describe documentaries using the "Ken Burns approach," its style is understood: voice-over narrators reading letters
and documents dramatically and stating the writer's name at their conclusion, fresh live footage of places juxtaposed with
still images (photographs, paintings, maps, prints), anecdotal interviews, and romantic musical scores taken from the era
he depicts. Continued below...
The Civil War uses all of these devices to evoke atmosphere and resurrect an event that many knew
only from stale history books. While Burns is a historian, a researcher, and a documentarian, he's above all a gifted storyteller,
and it's his narrative powers that give this chronicle its beauty, overwhelming emotion, and devastating horror. Using the
words of old letters, eloquently read by a variety of celebrities, the stories of historians like Shelby Foote and rare, stained
photos, Burns allows us not only to relearn and finally understand our history, but also to feel and experience it. "Hailed
as a film masterpiece and landmark in historical storytelling." "[S]hould be a requirement for every
References: Fuller, Maj. Gen. J. F. C., The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant,
Da Capo Press, 1929, ISBN 0-306-80450-6; Rawley, James A., Turning Points of the Civil War, University of Nebraska Press,
1966, ISBN 0-8032-8935-9; Unpublished remarks by Gary Gallagher and James M. McPherson, 2005 University of Virginia seminar:
Great Battles and Turning Points of the Civil War; United States Military Academy (West Point).


Language Acquisition in Immigrant and Refugee Children: First language use and bilingualism
- Language acquisition is the greatest predictor of a child’s success in school and in later life. Early identification and intervention for speech and language problems are essential aspects of care.
- Parents new to Canada provide optimal stimulation for their child and support cultural identity by speaking their home language. They are the best models for their child when they use the language they know best.
- Children with a strong first language base learn a second language more easily. Learning a second language can happen at any age.
- Children learn best from people who speak a language well. Learning one language well is better than hearing and learning two languages poorly.
- Consistent and frequent exposure to the home language or to multiple languages (in the case of bilingualism) is needed, ideally from family and caregivers, to ensure optimal language development.
- Dual language exposure at a young age does not cause or contribute to language delay.
- Referral to local speech and language services for children with a language problem should be encouraged, especially if they are not meeting major communication milestones on time in their dominant language, or in both languages.
First language use and bilingualism
Recent paediatric research supports the importance of first language use in the context of speech and language development in preschool children. Preschool children who develop strong language skills in their first language can learn a second language more easily and do better at school with reading and writing.1,2
In Canada, most immigrant and refugee parents have the opportunity to raise a bilingual child. While parents may have strong feelings about maintaining their heritage language and culture, raising a bilingual child can raise questions and doubts for parents about using their first language or about the impact of learning more than one language.
First or Home Language is the language first taught to a child or the language learned from birth, before the age of 3. It is usually the language heard by the child at home and used by parents for daily communication.
Paediatricians, primary care physicians and other child health professionals are ideally positioned to support families: by recommending that parents speak their first language at home and by providing strategies to facilitate bilingualism.
Current data estimates that 10-19% of preschool children have a speech or language disorder.3,4 Early identification and intervention can improve attachment and interaction between parent and child,5,6 improve the child’s overall communication development,7 and enhance brain development.8
When children show early signs of speech and language delays, families often seek support from their paediatricians, primary care physicians and other child health professionals.
All children learn one language: The importance of the first language
Recent research has clearly established the importance of first language use in the context of speech and language development in preschool children.
When it comes to dual-language learners, research supports these observations:
- It is important and appropriate for parents to speak to their children in their own first language.
- Preschool children who develop a strong first language base learn a second language more easily.
- Preschool children with strong language skills in their first language do better at school with reading and writing.1,9
Encourage parents to talk to their child in their own first language. Parents shouldn’t feel pressured to speak a second language for fear that they are risking their child’s language development, success in school or integration into Canadian society. When they use their first language, they are offering the best language models to their child: they are modelling a rich, diverse vocabulary, appropriate grammatical structures and promoting easy, fluid and natural exchanges in daily activities.1,9,10
When should parents introduce a second language?
Second language Is often referred to as the language learned after the age of 3. It usually appears once the first language has been established. For most internationally adopted children, the second language is learned from adoption and becomes the dominant language.
Learning a second language can happen at any age and in a variety of environments (at home, in child care, at school). Contrary to popular beliefs, bilingualism does not trigger confusion or negatively impact the development of language in young children.
Current research demonstrates that babies have the innate ability to learn more than one language. All over the world, young children learn to speak two languages with success while growing up. Research also indicates that learning earlier is better!1,9
Bilingual children reach the same milestones as monolinguals do for most communication milestones (e.g., first as babbling, adding vocabulary, then combining words into sentences, etc.). Although it is common for a bilingual child to have fewer words in each language when they are separately considered, it is not the case when we consider the combined vocabularies from both languages. In fact, the “conceptual” vocabulary size of a bilingual child is similar to that of a monolingual child.
It is optimal that the child learn from people who speak a language well. Learning the first language or both languages may also be crucial to preserve social and cultural identity within the child’s family and community.
Practical considerations to share with parents: 1,2,8,9
- Speak the home language with their child. Children learn best from people who speak well.
- When children have a strong first language base, they learn a second language more easily.
- Children with strong language skills do better at school with reading and writing.
Simultaneous or sequential bilingualism: What to do?
Simultaneous bilingualism – Children learning two languages, from birth or shortly after, are simultaneous language learners. They are learning two separate language systems that also interact together. Exposure to two languages does not cause a language delay. Ideally, equal exposure to each language from the start impacts simultaneous bilingual learning. In a bilingual home, equal exposure may be difficult to achieve. At times, one language becomes more dominant than the other.
Simultaneous: Learning two languages at the same time from birth or before age 3
Sequential: Learning a second language after age 3
Remind primary care providers that simultaneously bilingual children should be reaching early communication milestones (e.g., first words by 12 months, two-word phrases at 2 years) at about the same time as monolingual children.
Sequential bilingualism – Children who acquire a second language after learning a first language are considered sequential bilingual learners or “second language learners”. These children tend to go through 4 typical stages when learning a second language:
- The child uses the first language in the second language environment even if no one speaks the first language (e.g., Camille uses “lait” when requesting “milk” in her English child care program).
- The child stops using the first language in the new environment (second language environment) and has a “silent” period lasting from 3 to 6 months. In order to develop language skills in the second language, the child will stop using a first language in the new environment. Social interaction with peers and adults will still be present. At home, the child’s first language should continue to grow (e.g., Malik stops using Arabic words in his English child care program. When playing or communicating with peers and adults, he uses gestures. At home, he continues to speak Arabic).
- The child starts using the second language in a telegraphic way in imitation or rote activities (e.g., counting, naming colors, labelling objects or pictures), in memorized phrases (e.g., “I don’t know.”, “What’s that?”) or by joining words into short phrases. The child will not use grammatically correct sentences right away.
- Productive use of the second language: The child starts to construct sentences spontaneously but may have an accent, mispronounce words and make grammatical errors.
Acquiring a second language does not mean a child’s oral language abilities (use of grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure) will be the same as those of a monolingual peer. Proficiency and competency in a second language develop with exposure and practice. Early language skills do develop quickly: Within 6 months to 2 years of exposure to the second language. However, it may take 5 to 7 years for a sequential bilingual child to reach similar oral language competency as a monolingual child. In sequential language learners, concerns arise if the child is not meeting early communication milestones in their first language.1,2,10,11
What normal characteristics are expected when a child is learning two languages?
Although a child is learning two languages, one language is used more often and proficiently. It is the language that is used spontaneously and presents with greater vocabulary, longer sentences, and fewer pauses
- Language dominance: One language becomes dominant because the child’s exposure to and ability to practice each language are not equal in daily life.
- Language mixing: The child uses words from both languages in the same sentence to help replace words he does not know.
- Grammatical errors: Children make mistakes until they figure out the ‘rules’ in their new language.
- Loss of their first language: As the second language begins to prevail, children may lose their first language skills. This loss can impact relationships with parents, who feel they are no longer able to communicate fully with their children and may be concerned about erosion of cultural identity.1,2,9-11
Practical considerations to share with parents:
To become bilingual, a child needs repeated and frequent engagement with people who speak each language well. Options are available to achieve this:1,2,10-12
- A “one parent-one language” approach: Each parent speaks one language to the child.
- A “one place-one language” approach: One language is spoken at home (the first language); the other is spoken during the day in child care or at school.
- A “one activity-one language” approach: One language is spoken for a given routine (e.g., first language at bath time), the other for a different routine (second language at dinner). One language is used at home but the other is spoken during outdoor play or at a community activity (second language used at the library during story hour).
Bilingualism and language delays
There is no evidence that exposure to two languages causes language delay. In fact, research shows there are cognitive and social benefits to learning two languages. Children learning two languages know the difference between them even in the earliest stages of bilingual development, and will use each language separately with different speakers, and even with a stranger.1,9,11
Bilingual children become more efficient communicators in their first language, develop a greater vocabulary, improve their listening skills, have sharper memory skills, display greater cognitive flexibility and demonstrate better problem-solving and higher-order thinking.13-15
What to do when a child has a speech or language delay?
Scientific research has shown that children with a speech or language delay or disorder will not become more delayed if they hear or learn two languages. Professionals can expect to observe the same speech and language difficulties in both languages in the case of a language learning delay.
There is no evidence to support limiting a language-delayed child to one language to help language learning or avoid a delay. In fact, limiting a child’s exposure to a single language may negatively impact or restrict the child’s interactions with other family or community members. Research on early development tells us that it is imperative to start early, empower parents and engage children in language and literacy-rich activities.
Practical considerations to share with parents: 1,2,9,11
- If a communication delay is present, reassure parents that bilingualism does NOT cause a delay or confusion.
- A simultaneous bilingual child with a communication delay will present a delay in both languages. Expect similar type and severity of errors as the ones found in monolingual peers with language disorders.
- In a sequential bilingual child who presents with a communication delay, the delay will be present in the first language.
The role of primary care providers during a well-child visit
Language plays a critical role in attachment with family members and in the formation of a strong cultural identity. Families may seek out their paediatricians, primary care physicians and other child health professionals for information on first language use and bilingualism.
Primary care professionals and other health professionals should review the child’s language development as part of their developmental surveillance.
When evaluating children in their first language or bilingual children, primary care providers can resort to the paediatric tools and milestones used for monolinguals, such as the Nippissing, the Rourke Baby Record or other tools described in the section Child Development: Issues and Assessment.
The Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth also provides speech and language milestones brochures in 16 different languages
Summary of key learning points
Identify the child’s first language and/or the family’s home language:
- Ask the parent about:
- the child’s first or home language
- other languages used in the home
- about the amount of exposure to each language (frequency, percentage, environment).
- Assess language dominancy (ask parents whether the child uses one language more often).
- To learn language, children need to hear well. Ensure that the child’s hearing is normal (i.e., do a hearing screening test).
Identify language competency in the first language or in both languages:
Even if you do NOT SPEAK the same language:
- Identify whether a child appears to present a first language delay by using paediatric screening tools.
- Ask about receptive and expressive language skills in both languages used by the child.
- Identify ‘red flags’ for high-risk social communication predictors or a developmental delay.
- Counsel parents on the importance of first language retention for later academic skills, and the risks of losing home language.
- Reassure parents that their child’s behaviour and usage (e.g., a silent period in the second language, mixing languages, grammatical errors) are normal for a child learning two languages.
Share information with parents when a language delay is suspected:
- Never assume that language delay is caused by exposure to two languages.
- Reassure parents that dual language exposure has not caused or made the delay more severe. Children with a language disorder can become bilingual.
- In simultaneous bilingualism, if a true delay exists, it will be present in both languages. Expect the same type and severity of errors as you would find in monolingual peers with a language disorder.
- In sequential bilingualism, if a communication delay or disorder is truly present, it will be present in the first language. It takes time to learn a second language. Some children learning a second language appear to be delayed compared with their peers, but the length of time of exposure to a second language must be taken into account.
- If a bilingual child is not meeting major communication milestones, in his first language or dominant language or in both languages (in the case of a simultaneous bilingual child), refer the child to speech and language services available in your region.
- Never recommend that parents limit their bilingual child’s exposure to only one language, even when a language disorder is diagnosed.
- Speech and language pathologists usually assess a child’s skills in a first or home language with the help of a cultural interpreter. Therapy is often conducted in the child’s first language with the support of parents and a cultural interpreter.
Offer additional strategies to parents:
- Read often to your child in your first language. Use picture books or tell stories that you learned as a child in your first language. This will help your child develop listening, thinking, language and reading skills.
- Watching television is not enough for your child to learn a second language. Parents need to provide many opportunities to engage in a variety of contexts (at home, in child care, at the park, in daily routines). A child needs to hear and speak both languages to become a competent user.
- Play with your child in your first language. Through play, your child is building language skills: When she seeks out a playmate, follows a set of rules, negotiates, takes turns, cooperates and accepts an outcome. All these skills involve communication.
- Sing songs in your first language. Take time to explain new words or to talk about the story behind a traditional song.
- Best Start Resource Centre. Growing up in a new land – Strategies for working with newcomer Families. Toronto, Ont.: Best Start, 2010.
This manual contains many strategies to assist service providers who work with newcomer families with children 0-6 years of age. Background information and a list of resources, programs and activities are also provided.
- Genessee F. Early Dual Language Learning. Zero to Three 2008;17-23.
- Paradis J, Genesee F, Brago MB. Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning, 2nd edn. Baltimomer, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 2011.
- First Words Preschool Speech Language program
- Frequently Asked Questions on First Language use and Bilingualism. First Words offers many resources for families. This fact sheet is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, English and Somali.
- Primary Language and Literacy Project: Talk to your child in your first language. Suggestions and strategies for parents on developing language through reading and storytelling, play and music, television and videos, and preparing children for school. These resources are available in Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Inuktitut and Somali.
- The Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Service has multilingual information on speech and language development milestones and strategies, online.
- Hold On to Your Home Language Ryerson University’s School of Early Childhood Education developed this website to raise awareness of the importance of home language retention.
- Paradis J, Genesee F, Brago, MB. Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning, 2nd edn. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 2011.
- Thomas WP, Collier V. School effectiveness for language minority students. NCBE Resource Collection Series, No. 9. Wasington, D.C.: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, 1997.
- Beitchman JH, Nair R, Clegg M, et al. Prevalence of speech and language disorders in 5-year-old kindergarten children in the Ottawa-Carleton region. J Speech Hear Disord 1986; 51(2):98-110.
- Nelson HD, Nygren P, Walker M, et al. Screening for speech and language delay in preschool children: Systematic evidence review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. Pediatrics 2006;117(2):e298-319.
- MacDonald J. Becoming partners with children. San Antonio, TX: Special Press, 1989.
- Wilcox M. Enhancing initial communication skills in young children with developmental disabilities through partner programming. Seminars in Speech and Language 1992;13:3194-212.
- Barnett W, Escobar C. Economic costs and benefits of early intervention. In: Meisels SJ, Shonkoff JP (eds.), Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
- Florida Starting Points. Maximizing Florida’s brain power: We need to use it or lose it. Carnegie Corporation and the United Way of Florida; Success by Six, 1997.
- Cummins J. Bilingualism and minority language children. Toronto, Ont.: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1981.
- Cummins J. Language, Power and Pedgogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Clevedon, U.K.: Multilingual Matters, 2000.
- Goldstein BA. Clinical implications of research on language development and disorders in bilingual children. Lang Disord 2006;26(4):305-21.
- Watson C, Cummins J. One language or two? Helping families from other cultures decide on how to talk to their language-delayed child. Hanen Centre: WigWag, 1995.
- Barac R, Bialystok E. Cognitive development of bilingual children. Language Teaching (Cambridge UP) 2011 44(1)1:36-54.
- Kempert S, Hardy I, Saalbach H, Hardy I. Cognitive benefits and costs of bilingualism in elementary school students: The case of mathematical word problems. J Educational Psychology 2011;103(3): 547-61.
- Yang S, Yang H, Lust B. Early childhood bilingualism leads to advances in executive attention: Dissociating culture and language. Bilingualism: Language and cognition (Cambridge UP) 2011;14(3):412-22.
- Roxane Bélanger, M.Sc.SLP, reg. CASLPO
Last updated: July, 2014


Can You Hear Me Now? Activity
Have you ever received an electronic device in the mail only to find it damaged during shipping? How frustrating! In this hands-on and relatable activity, students act as engineers to solve the real-world challenge to design a better packing solution for shipping cell phones. They apply scientific, mathematic and engineering ideas to design, evaluate and refine a solution that minimizes the force on an object during a collision. They work through the engineering design process to create new packaging that prevents shipping damage while considering design constraints such as cost and weight; they combine different materials—such as cardboard, fabric, plastic and rubber bands—to create new “composite material” packaging and use pieces of glass to model a cellphone during testing. Additionally, students apply their knowledge of linear regression to accurately predict the optimum drop height that can be obtained without the “phone” breaking. At the end, students write summary lab reports to describe what they did in the project, their results and findings. This activity aligns to several science and math standards, including NGSS and CCSS.
3D bioprinting can be used to treat injuries! In this informative and engaging hands-on activity (that does not require 3D printers!), a humorous one-minute video presents high-school students with a hypothetical scenario that introduces "Bill," who has been badly injured in an automobile accident, damaging some bone, muscle and skin beyond repair. Students act as biomedical engineers to replace Bill’s injured areas with bioprinted bone, muscle and skin grafts. They create mock bioprinters from ordinary materials—cardboard, dowels, wood, spools, duct tape, zip ties and glue—and use squeeze-bags of icing to lay down tissue layers. Student teams apply what they learned about biological tissue composition and tissue engineering in the associated lesson to design and fabricate model replacement tissues. They tangibly learn about the technical aspects and challenges of 3D bioprinting technology. To conclude, teams present their prototype designs to the class. The activity includes helpful videos of mock 3D-bioprinter assembly and use instructions. This activity aligns to several science and math standards, including NGSS and Common Core.
Big Data, What Are You Saying? Activity
What exactly do we mean by “big data”? These days, big data is the accumulation of vast amounts of information from various sources—such as online user browsing and shopping—and the creative analysis of that data to learn from it. In this math-strong activity with a trending real-world connection, high-school students act as R&D entrepreneurs researching variables affecting the market of chosen products using big data to form and support conclusions. Students first identify a product (maybe a video game, shoe, food) and brainstorm production and marketing variables (such as product cost, price, materials). After researching and collecting pertinent consumer data, they import, organize and analyze the data using Excel and other software to inform their product production and marketing plans. They calculate statistics and generate graphs to discover relationships between variables that are essential for decision-making. Based on their findings, students suggest product launch strategies and present their conclusions to the class. This activity is ideal for high school statistics classes and aligns to several math standards, including CCSS.
Mmm Cupcakes: What’s Their Impact? Activity
Who doesn’t like cupcakes? In this activity, students apply their math skills to determine the environmental impact of this favorite snack over its life cycle. As a class project, they conduct a life-cycle assessment of one cupcake. To do this, six teams examine and make calculations about the energy use and emissions release at each of the six steps in the cupcake life cycle. They pull together the numbers and compare various life-cycle stage options, such as two possible disposal endings—landfilling vs. composing of discarded cupcake paper liners. Students come to see how every object they encounter has a complete life cycle—from cradle to grave—which is worth critiquing to design smarter. After finishing this activity, one fifth-grade student stated: I liked learning about life cycle assessment. I got to know how people could see where an object came from and all the energy it needs at each step to make it. Now I look at things around me and try to think where they came from.”
High school students jump into biomedical engineering in this hands-on stimulating lab activity by simulating a real-world diagnostic screening test that’s used around the world daily to identify diseases present in people. Students model the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test, which is a simple blood separating test based on the sedimentation technique that medical professionals use to provide diagnostic and medical care. In their lab work, student teams modify a blood model composed of tomato juice, petroleum jelly, butter and olive oil to simulate conditions such as anemia, rheumatoid arthritis and leukocytosis. They explore the three stages of sedimentation—aggregation, settling and packing—and measure the ESR as the plasma height that lies over the erythrocyte sediment. If a disease is present, the ESR value deviates from the normal value because diseases alter blood composition such as density and viscosity, enabling students to correlate their measurements for each blood sample with disease conditions. This activity is packed with numerous informative videos and aligns to NGSS, ITEEA and other science standards—a great way to bring biomedical engineering into chemistry class!
Gears: Lift It Up! Activity
Using the “right” gears can be like having superpowers! Finding the ideal gear ratio can make seemingly impossible tasks possible. In this optimization activity geared towards middle schoolers (pun intended!), students learn about the trade-off between speed and torque. They are challenged to design a gear set that can lift a given load (provide enough torque) as fast as possible. Using a LEGO robot pulley system with two independent gear sets and motors that spin two pulleys with weights attached by string, teams test and refine their designs to attain an ideal gear ratio for the system. They learn how to choose the gear ratio for a specific task and discover the trade-off between power and speed. A pre-activity teacher demo illustrates the effect of adding increasing amounts of weight to pulley systems with different gear ratios. This activity aligns to NGSS, CCSS, ITEEA and other science and math standards. Pre/post quizzes and a student worksheet are provided.
Mutation Telephone Activity
Who remembers playing “telephone” as a kid? In this engaging biology activity, teens learn about DNA mutations. They enact the popular childhood “telephone” game to illustrate how DNA mutations occur over several cell generations—each communication step representing a biological process related to the passage of DNA from one cell to another. The game starts off with the first student in a line receiving a set of instructions that represent a single gene from an organism’s DNA. This student whispers the instructions to a second student, the second to the third, and so on until the message reaches the last student who then performs the instructions that s/he was told! Comparing the initial and final instructions reveals the types of mutations (normal, substitution, deletion or insertion) that occurred in the person-to-person (cell-to-cell, natural or genetically engineered) communications. In the second part of the activity, students use their results to test how mutation affects organisms' survivability in the wild by demonstrating natural selection through “predatory” enactments. This activity aligns to NGSS, ITEEA and other science standards, and includes a worksheet.
Volumes of Complex Solids Activity
"This is dense, creative curriculum—a gem for AP calculus teachers," said one of our partner teachers. In this challenging week-long activity, students are presented with a hypothetical engineering situation for which they need to determine the volume of a nuclear power plant’s cooling tower. In order to complete the task, students learn a detailed volume estimation procedure for complex solids. They first practice using the volume procedure on small objects before independently estimating the volume of a cooling tower. During both guided and independent practice, students use free geometry software, a photograph of the object, a known dimension of it, a spreadsheet application and integral calculus techniques to calculate the volume of complex shape solids within a <5% margin of error. Students create a blueprint of their complex solid of revolution and use an appropriate scale factor to estimate its dimensions, which can be used to calculate its volume. This activity meets many science, math and technology standards, including NGSS, CCSS and ITEEA.
A pair of glasses, a hearing aid, a cane and a crutch—what do these objects have in common? They are all assistive devices that help people see, hear and walk! In this project-based activity, students act as biomedical engineers as they design and test assistive hand device prototypes to help a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy grip a cup. In doing so, students learn how biomedical engineers create assistive devices for persons with fine motor skill disabilities; they also learn about types of forces (balanced and unbalanced), form and function, and hand structure. Given design criteria from the client—including limited materials and a $50 budget—teams follow the engineering design process steps by conducting research, brainstorming ideas, sketching, constructing and testing prototypes. They test to see if the prototype devices can grip a cup with 200 ml of sand. Then they redesign, re-test, and make improvements. Finally, students reflect on their designs and the process. This activity meets science, math and technology standards, including NGSS, CCSS and ITEEA.
Elementary School Engineering Design Field Day Curricular Unit
Have you ever considered having an "engineering design field day" at your school?! The 10 design project activities in this unit are each great on their own: spaghetti soapbox derby, naked egg drop, and building skyscrapers, towers, wind-powered sail cars, bridges and water bottle rockets. But consider combining them to give middle school students practice in the engineering design process as they prepare their designs for an entertaining and culminating seven-hour field day competition. As a bonus, include a "math competition" as part of the day—using the provided six math tests for grades 1-6 students. End the day with awards for the winning designs!
Snazzy Sneakers Maker Challenge
Woo-hoo! TeachEngineering has joined the MAKER MOVEMENT! We just added "Maker Challenges" to the collection—like this one about making shoes! Students come up with their own design requirements for a new type of shoe— for a specific activity or a specific "look." They sketch plans and build prototypes, then test and improve them. As with all Maker Challenges, the experience is student directed and easy to scale up or down. TeachEngineering provides the basic challenge along with suggested materials and teacher prompts. If you have maker activities that worked well with your students, consider writing them up and submitting to TeachEngineering for publishing—to share with others!
In this easy-prep, “taste of engineering” activity, youngsters see the separation of ink into its components. They place permanent marker ink on coffee filter paper that is dipped into isopropyl alcohol; then they repeat with water to see if the results are different. The process—called chromatography—is a way to look at complex mixtures by separating them into their components. It’s not a chemical process; it’s a physical process because the mixture components are not chemically combined. To wrap up the 45-minute activity, students share their findings and learn that different inks have different properties such as how well they dissolve in certain types of solvents—which is important for many real-world applications like criminal evidence investigation and pollution cleanup. This engaging “sprinkle” is ideal for after-school clubs and scouts, and is also available in Spanish!
Glaciers, Water and Wind, Oh My! Activity
What is erosion and how does it relate to math and engineering? In this hands-on, math-enriched activity designed for fifth graders, students learn about five types of erosion (chemical, water, wind, glacier and temperature) as they rotate through stations and model each type on rocks, soils and minerals. Students learn about the effects of each erosion type and discover that engineers study erosion in order to design ways to protect our environment, structures and people’s lives. In a series of real-world scenarios (math word problems), students make calculations about the effects of erosion, including calculating erosion damage on forest, personal property and mountains, as well as determining the cost of damage. This activity includes two student worksheets and is part of a nine-lesson and 16-activity elementary-level unit called “Engineering for the Earth.” The activity meets several state and national math standards including CCMS, and science and technology standards, including NGSS and ITEEA.
"I love this curriculum. It’s scalable for middle and high school students, and it’s an important skill that is typically overlooked," said one of our partner teachers. While years of research have linked spatial visualization skills to success in engineering, NEW research shows that spatial visualization skills can be LEARNED. To begin this lesson, students complete a 12-question, multiple-choice spatial visualization practice quiz. Then, through four associated activities, students work through hands-on, interactive and tangible exercises on the topics of isometric drawings and coded plans, orthographic views, one-axis rotations and two-axis rotations. Finally, students take the quiz again to see how they've improved. This curriculum is the result of years of testing with first-year engineering college students, and has proved successful in improving student spatial visualization skills—thereby setting them up for success in engineering. Bring SV into your classroom today!
How can engineers display data and results in an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-understand way? In this high school lesson, students learn the value of—and connections between—art and writing in both science and engineering. They learn the principles of visual design (contrast, alignment, repetition and proximity) as well as the elements of visual design (line, color, texture, shape, size, value and space) to acquire the vocabulary to describe visual art and design. Engineers often need to convey their designs and ideas visually to create buy-in, appeal to clients or win research funding. So engineers must be able to creatively and clearly communicate their work and designs—often using art. Students also learn about the science and engineering research funding process and heat flow/thermal conductivity basics, which prepare them for the associated engineering design activity in which they create visual representations to communicate their collected experimental data. This lesson and activity meet many math, science and technology standards, including CCMS, NGSS and ITEEA.
Just Breathe Activity
Breathe in. Breathe out. What is happening to your lungs as you inhale and exhale? In this popular hands-on activity, students learn about the respiratory system and explore the inhalation/exhalation process of the lungs. Using everyday materials (2-liter plastic bottles and balloons), students act as engineers and create model lungs to analyze their function and the overall breathing process. They learn that during inhalation, the volume of the thoracic cavity increases while pressure in the lungs decreases, and that during exhalation, the volume of the thoracic cavity decreases while pressure in the lungs increases. By studying the respiratory system, engineers have been able to create life-saving technologies such as the heart-lung machine that keeps patients alive during heart transplant procedures. Students learn about the many engineering advancements that have helped people who have respiratory system difficulties. At activity end, student teams demonstrate their models and explore what happens to the respiratory system if punctured. This upper elementary-level activity meets science and technology standards, including NGSS and ITEEA.
Can you improve the efficiency of a fast-food restaurant through engineering analysis and design? In this thought-provoking activity, students attempt to improve the efficiency of a fast-food restaurant that is financially struggling due to inefficient daily routines by considering trade-offs and constraints. Acting as engineers, students identify strengths and weaknesses in the existing system and generate a plan to improve efficiency—such as restructuring employee responsibilities, revising a floor plan and delegating tasks—while following requirements and limitations. Students culminate their analyses by writing argumentative essays summarizing and defending their suggested changes and improvements. This activity is especially engaging for students with workforce experience, helping them make meaningful connections between their everyday experiences and engineering. The activity is suitable for middle and high school students and meets science and technology standards, including NGSS and ITEEA.
Alloy the Way to Mars Activity
NASA needs your help! What alloy would you recommend they use for a new engine intended to transport astronauts to Mars? In this straightforward activity that requires few materials, students must think like real-world engineers to help NASA decide which material to use for its RS-25 engine and turbine design. Student groups work as engineering teams, taking various measurements and performing calculations to determine the specific strength of different alloys. Students test to look for a material that is both strong and lightweight and discover that a higher specific strength yields a stronger, more lightweight material. Students learn about the ultimate tensile strength, the maximum amount of stress a material can sustain before failing, and use that and the material density to calculate specific strength of the various alloys. The activity culminates in a creative writing project as students compose letters to the Deputy Program Manager at NASA outlining their recommendations. Geared towards middle school students, this activity meets science and technology standards including NGSS and ITEEA, and comes with a preparatory lesson.
Imagine one day that you open your eyes and realize that you can only see a small portion of your surroundings—much of your range of vision is gone! Many people with glaucoma experience this every day. In this engaging activity, middle school students experience how engineers help people; they act as biomedical engineers to design pressure sensors that measure eye pressure and use 3D software to design and print 3D prototypes of their sensors (or modeling clay as an alternative). Presented with personal stories of two people with glaucoma, student teams are challenged to develop prototypes that can help them identify pressure changes in the eyes. Students learn about radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and conduct research on pressure gauges. They are given project requirements: designs must use RFID technology, be lightweight and small, and measure eye pressure. Over seven days, teams determine an appropriate pressure gauge, design an intraocular pressor sensor prototype given constraints, 3D print the prototypes, and present them to the class. This activity meets many STEM standards, including CCMS, NGSS and ITEEA.
Imagine you are a runner, but you lost a leg in an accident—how can you keep running? In this easy-to-prep informal learning "sprinkle," middle school students design, build and test prosthetic legs in two hours using ordinary household materials. First, students learn about prostheses, the importance of replacement legs for individuals who have lost their leg(s) to accident or injury, and are tasked to follow the steps of the engineering design process to make prosthetic leg prototypes. Student teams discuss important features of replacement legs and brainstorm design ideas. They choose fabrication materials from provided supplies, sketch their design plan and gain instructor design approval prior to constructing their prototypes. After building, students test the prosthetic limbs, making sure they can be used to walk successfully around the classroom (crude but functional!). Students improve their designs as necessary and present them to the class at the end. This engaging and fun "sprinkle" is also available in Spanish!
Growing and Graphing Activity
How tall are you? In this kindergarten activity, students get to meet older schoolmates and explore their schools while measuring the heights of the older students using large building blocks, which they later translate into pictorial bar graphs. This activity provides a fun and refreshing way to introduce young students to measurement and graphing at an early age; they learn how to take real-world measurements and then graph and examine the data. The kindergarteners visit second and fourth grade classes and work in pairs to make height measurements of students and adults by using large building blocks and keeping tallies. Back in their classroom, they glue pre-cut construction paper rectangles (~1-3 inches in size, representing the building blocks they used for measurement) onto lined chart paper to make bar graphs of the different height measurements. Then they compare the heights of second-graders, fourth-graders and adults—discussing the differences and patterns, sorting the heights from tallest to shortest and determining the median height. This activity meets many math, science and technology standards, including CCMS, NGSS and ITEEA.
Right on Target: Catapult Game Activity
Ready, set, catapult! In this hands-on activity, student groups are tasked with designing and constructing precise and accurate catapults using everyday materials and guidance from the engineering design process. With the goal to launch ping-pong balls to hit different targets, student teams experiment with different designs. Will the catapult shoot the ping-pong ball far enough to hit the target? Students must apply an understanding of projectile motion to determine the best launch angle to travel the farthest distance. They analyze the different forces acting on their catapults and make their structures robust enough to withstand them. After constructing their catapults, students test their structures and see how many targets they can successfully hit. Teams earn points for hitting targets and tally their scores to determine a winning team. Students present their designs to the class, suggest improvements and discuss the characteristics of successful catapults. This engaging and playful activity meets many math, science and technology standards, including CCMS, NGSS and ITEEA.
Physics of Roller Coasters Lesson
Ack! You are at the top of a roller coaster about to drop—then, thanks to physics and engineering, you make a safe landing despite all the jitters! In this lesson, middle school students learn about the physics behind roller coasters, investigating potential and kinetic energy as well as friction and gravity, and explore how engineers apply the basics of physics to roller coaster designs. They learn how the force of gravity drives roller coasters and that the conversion between potential and kinetic energy is essential to its motion. In addition, they learn how roller coasters slow down due to friction and the role that velocity and acceleration play in the motion of these exhilarating rides. This imaginative lesson provides the necessary background knowledge for its associated activity, "Building Roller Coasters," in which students design and build model roller coasters. This lesson geared towards upper middle school students meets many science and technology standards, including NGSS and ITEEA.
Zero-Energy Housing Activity
Brrr! It's a chilly March night—can you think of a way to heat your house without using an electric or gas heater? In this hands-on activity, teens design and construct one-bedroom model houses within specified constraints (and a variety of material options) and are challenged to warm up their houses as much as they can and maintain the heated temperatures for as long as possible using passive solar heating design techniques. Students learn about solar heating (including how insulation, window placement, thermal mass, surface colors and site orientation are all essential in design), and apply learned concepts to the design and construction of their model houses. After constructing, students test their model homes during simulated daytime and nighttime conditions to examine thermal gains and losses. Finally, students present and compare their designs and suggest improvements. This engaging high school activity meets multiple science and technology standards, and is NGSS and ITEEA aligned.
Quick! The power is out, you're in the dark and immediately grab your flashlight. Ever wondered how flashlights work? What makes them light up so easily? In this easy-prep informal learning sprinkle, elementary students design, build and test their own flashlights. Student first learn and discuss the essential components of flashlights: the importance of a switch, how flashlights are composed of a simple series circuit, and that the batteries and switch must be correctly oriented to work. Given a list of available supplies, they sketch their own flashlight designs that incorporate a switch, a reflector-enhanced light (such as with foil) and batteries contained in a paper tube. After building, students test for reliability, checking to see if the light can be turned on three times in a row. Students improve their designs as necessary and present their flashlights to the class at the end. This is a great starter engineering project—good for afterschool clubs and rainy afternoons. Also available in Spanish!
Engineering a Mountain Rescue Litter Activity
Imagine hiking in the mountains, suddenly getting injured and being unable to walk. In this hands-on design challenge, elementary-age students consider this situation and act as engineers to create rescue litters/baskets for use in hard-to-get-to places such as mountainous terrain. Using a potato to model an injured person, teams build small-sized prototypes that meet given criteria and constraints: lightweight and inexpensive, break down to be small and portable, quick assembly and stable transport of an injured body. They learn about the human bodys nerves and spinal cord and the importance of protecting it. They "purchase" ordinary building materials such as toothpicks, paper towels, craft sticks, foil and sponges to design and build prototypes. Through timed tests, they assess their design success in assembly and transport of the injured person (potato). Then students compare statistics (litter mass, cost, stability and rescue time) and graph all team data, analyzing the results to determine which designs performed best. Part of a biomedical engineering unit, this engaging activity meets many science and technology standards, including NGSS and ITEEA.
Clearing a Path to the Heart Activity
Can you think of a way to unclog blood vessels? In this open-ended design project, student teams act as biomedical engineers to create and build devices capable of removing and/or flattening plaque build-up inside artery walls. They follow the steps of the engineering design process, apply their knowledge of the circulatory system and learn about existing methods to treat blocked arteries (angioplasty/stent and coronary bypass surgery). First they gain an understanding of the need (chest pain, heart attacks), then brainstorm ideas, design and plan, create and test a prototype, and then refine their designs. Students assess their success by first observing how two liters of water flows through model clogged arteries (tubes with play dough or peanut butter in them) and then timing how fast the water flows through the cleared arteries. Students present their designs to the class, explaining what worked and what improvements are needed. This middle school activity is part of a larger biomedical engineering unit and meets many math, science and technology standards, including CCMS, NGSS and ITEEA.
Mars Rover App Creation Activity
Did you know that the Mars Curiosity rover discovered water on Mars?! How do engineers develop such an intelligent vehicle capable of such vast exploration? In this activity, students explore the programming and technology realms to discover and create Android apps capable of controlling LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT robots to simulate a planetary rover remote sensing task. Using MIT's App Inventor software, student teams create their own mobile applications that they execute on Android devices to control specific aspects of an NXT robot. They might program actions such as driving the robot, moving an arm, detecting objects, applying a game or using a light sensor. Student teams follow the steps of the software/systems design process and gain programming design experience. Groups present their apps to the class and demonstrate how they control a robot. This middle/high school activity meets many science and technology standards, including NGSS and ITEEA.
Most people take no notice of above-ground storage tanks in their communities! The tanks might contain water or petrochemicals in liquid or gas form, or other industrial explosive and toxic materials. What's important is that engineers design the tanks to be structurally sound—and hopefully strong enough to remain intact during major storms and hurricanes! In this activity, teens act as engineers in design teams tasked to examine the stability of certain above-ground storage tanks (and demonstrate their understanding of Archimedes' principle and Pascal's law). Guided by worksheets and during five class periods, they derive equations and make analyses to determine whether the storage tanks will displace or remain stationary in the event of flooding. Then they are challenged to think of improved designs to prevent displacement and buckling. They present their results and design ideas to the class. This high school activity concludes the Above-Ground Storage Tanks in the Houston Ship Channel lesson, which is part of The Physics of Fluid Mechanics unit, and meets many science, math and technology standards, including NGSS and Common Core Math.
Youngsters know the foods they eat and the clothes they wear, but may have never made the connection to climate. In this elementary-level lesson, students learn the effects of climate on our food options and water sources, as well as on our clothing and shelter types. In small groups, students role-play families living in different regions around the globe and determine where they live based on their clothing and food (provided on notecards). They discuss factors that affect the climate such as latitude, elevation, land features and weather, and learn about different climates such as tropical, desert, alpine, oceanic. They also learn how engineers develop technologies to predict and be protected from weather and climate. In the associated activity, students learn the steps of the engineering design process as they explore ways to provide water to a (hypothetical) community facing a water crisis. This lesson is part of a nine-lesson unit, "Engineering for the Earth."