No matter the subject or grade, giving students engineering design process challenges encourages creativity, communication, innovation, and collaboration. In Designing the Future, author Ann Kaiser outlines how to enhance -- not increase -- what you are already teaching by implementing the engineering design process. Throughout the book, you will find more than 25 easy-entry, low-risk activities and projects you can begin incorporating into existing classwork. Use the engineering design process for students to transform creative and critical-thinking classroom activities: * Explore the engineering design process (EDP) and unpack its stages: problem definition, research, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and optimizing. * Understand how incorporating engineering for students creates a project-based learning environment that encourages essential 21st century skills, including creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. * Empower students to embrace the fundamentals of engineering design thinking, including: there is always more to learn, your solution will create problems, and there is no one right answer. * Learn how to develop and adapt engineering design process projects for various grade levels and disciplines. * Receive reflection tools that will empower you to revise and re-engineer activities and projects. * Incorporate elements of engineering and STEAM education lesson plans into your current classroom content. Contents: Introduction Part I Chapter 1: Building an Engineering Design Culture Chapter 2: Deconstructing the Engineering Design Process Chapter 3: Designing Projects Part II Chapter 4: Starting With Activities That Support Engineering Thinking and Skills Chapter 5: Introducing Projects for Elementary School Chapter 6: Introducing Projects for Middle and High School Part III Chapter 7: Reflecting On, Revising, and Optimizing Your Curriculum Epilogue Appendix A: Action Plan Summary Appendix B: Challenge Creation Appendix C: Engineering Notebook Forms References and Resources Index