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Week 2: Building Strong — Civil Engineering Careers

5th Six Weeks | Architecture & Construction / STEM Cluster | 5 class periods (50 min each)

Lesson Objective

Students explore civil and structural engineering careers through Hats & Ladders, investigate emerging occupations in green building and smart infrastructure, research the impact of standardized tests (PSAT/SAT/ACT) on engineering college admissions, and apply the Engineering Design Process to a bridge-building challenge.

Demonstration of Learning

"I can describe at least three civil engineering careers, explain how PSAT/SAT/ACT scores affect college admission for engineering programs, and apply engineering design principles to build a weight-bearing bridge."

TEKS Alignment

  • d(1)(D): Research and evaluate emerging occupations (green building, smart infrastructure).
  • d(2)(A): Research and describe academic and training requirements for engineering careers.
  • d(3)(E): Explain the impact of standardized testing (PSAT/SAT/ACT/ASVAB/TSI) on postsecondary opportunities.
  • d(1)(C): Identify career opportunities within the Engineering pathway.

Materials Needed

  • Chromebooks with internet access (1 per student)
  • Hats & Ladders student accounts + H&L Workbook (Ch 8: Engineering, pp. 119-136; Ch 3 Hat Research template)
  • Bridge-building materials: plastic drinking straws (40 per team), masking tape, index cards, scissors, small weights (pennies, washers, or a digital scale and textbooks)
  • 12-inch gap station (two desks or books spaced apart)
  • PBS Design Squad: pbskids.org/designsquad
  • BLS, Civil Engineers: bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm
  • College Board PSAT/SAT: collegeboard.org
  • Printed PSAT/SAT/ACT Impact worksheet
  • Printed Emerging Engineering Careers research template
  • Printed Bridge Design sketch page

Career Connection

Civil engineers design and maintain the infrastructure that holds a city together: roads, bridges, water systems, airports, and buildings. In DFW, massive population growth has created one of the strongest civil engineering job markets in the country. The H&L workbook's "Infrastructure Imagination" activity (Ch 8) puts students in the role of a civil engineer solving traffic congestion and flooding in the fictional city of Los Lomas, a scenario that mirrors real DFW challenges.

This is also the week to introduce standardized testing. Most four-year engineering programs are competitive, and PSAT/SAT/ACT scores significantly affect admission and scholarship eligibility. Students entering 7th grade now will take the PSAT 8/9 in 9th grade. It is not too early to plan.

What is Happening at Irving ISD? Civil Engineering at MacArthur High School (School of Architecture, Construction and Civil Engineering — ACE) prepares students for the AutoDesk Fusion 360 certification. The ACE school also houses Architecture, Construction, and Welding pathways that connect to structural engineering careers.

Vocabulary

  • Civil Engineer: An engineer who designs, builds, and maintains infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water systems.
  • Structural Engineer: A civil engineer who specializes in the load-bearing elements of buildings and bridges.
  • PSAT/SAT: College Board standardized tests used for college admissions and National Merit Scholarship qualification.
  • ACT: Alternative college admissions test measuring English, math, reading, and science reasoning.
  • Smart Infrastructure: Modern infrastructure that uses sensors and data to manage systems efficiently (e.g., adaptive traffic lights, smart water grids).
  • Green Building: Construction practices that reduce environmental impact. LEED is the industry certification standard.
  • Truss: A structural framework of triangles used to support bridges and roofs because triangles distribute load efficiently.

Bridge to Theory (Hats & Ladders)

The H&L workbook Ch 8: Engineering (pp. 119-136) is the anchor chapter for this week. The chapter includes three Career Lab activities, Protecting Wildlife (animal crossings), Mission to Mars (space habitat design), and Infrastructure Imagination (civil engineering for Los Lomas). The Infrastructure Imagination activity (pp. 131-135) is a direct fit for civil engineering and drives the weeklong bridge challenge.

Students also use the Hat Research template (same format as Ch 3) to research one civil engineering career in depth.

IISD Instructional Strategies

  • Modeling: Teacher demonstrates truss geometry on the projector before students build. A triangle holds its shape under load; a square collapses into a rhombus.
  • Active Monitoring: During the bridge challenge, teacher circulates with a 3-phase checklist (sketch approved, build started, testing ready).
  • Gallery Walk: PSAT/SAT/ACT/ASVAB/TSI comparison cards posted around the room. Students rotate and take notes on each.
  • Sentence Stems: For emerging careers research: "A Smart Infrastructure Specialist is an EMERGING career because _. The technology or need that made it grow is ___."

Week at a Glance

Day Focus Key Activities Deliverable
1 Civil Engineering in H&L H&L Engineering cluster tour + Infrastructure Imagination kickoff (Ch 8) Hat Research template + Los Lomas problem notes
2 PSAT/SAT/ACT + Emerging Careers Standardized test overview + Gallery Walk + Emerging Engineering Careers research Completed PSAT/SAT Impact worksheet
3 Bridge Challenge. Design EDP Phase 1-2: Define + Research + Sketch 2 bridge designs Approved bridge sketch with labeled structural elements
4 Bridge Challenge. Build & Test EDP Phase 3-4: Build prototype + Weight test Tested bridge + recorded max weight held
5 Presentations + H&L Favorites Results + Engineering career favorites + Career Plan update Redesign reflection + updated Career Plan

Formative Assessment

  • H&L Engineering cluster exploration quality (Day 1): d(1)(C), d(1)(D)
  • PSAT/SAT/ACT worksheet accuracy (Day 2): d(3)(E)
  • Bridge sketch quality and structural reasoning (Day 3): d(1)(C)
  • Bridge test results and EDP documentation (Day 4): d(1)(D)

Summative Assessment

Emerging Career Research + Bridge Challenge Report (Day 5): Students submit their emerging engineering career research template, their bridge sketch, their test results, and a redesign reflection. Scored on: emerging occupation research quality (d(1)(D)), engineering education requirements accuracy (d(2)(A)), standardized test awareness (d(3)(E)), and engineering design process documentation (d(1)(C)).

Differentiation

Scaffolded Learning

  • Bridge design templates showing truss, arch, and beam geometries with labeled parts
  • Simplified PSAT/SAT worksheet with key facts pre-filled so students focus on how scores apply to their pathway
  • PBS Design Squad guided instructions for students who need step-by-step scaffolding
  • Pair teams of 2 for the bridge challenge so students can divide sketching and building

Extensions

  • Research LEED certification requirements and list the top 5 strategies in a LEED-certified building
  • Redesign the bridge based on test data and build a second prototype
  • Create a personal PSAT study plan for 9th grade (subjects to strengthen, prep resources)
  • Research the Infrastructure Imagination problems in a real DFW context: How is Dallas addressing highway congestion? Where does Irving flood?

ELL Language Support

  • Pre-teach: Civil Engineer = Ingeniero civil, Bridge = Puente, Truss = Armadura, Standardized Test = Examen estandarizado
  • Bilingual PSAT/SAT/ACT comparison handout with Spanish column labels
  • Bridge-building is hands-on and accessible across language levels
  • Pair ELL students with bilingual peers during the Los Lomas problem discussion