Engineering Exploration at Home

 In this episode, guest Mariselle Gonzalez, a former semiconductor engineer, talks about engineering exploration at home. She offers practical ways homeschool parents can spark their child’s interest in engineering—no tech degree required!

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Mariselle’s journey from electrical engineering to teaching and curriculum design

• The many different types of engineering beyond mechanical and civil (think photonics, semiconductors, environmental, aerospace, and even prompt engineering!)

• Simple, hands-on ways to introduce engineering at home through baking, building forts, and using tinker boxes

• How to identify STEM/engineering aptitude in your child (hint: curiosity is key!)

• Encouraging problem-solving and critical thinking—even without a technical background

• Low-cost materials and DIY engineering tools you can gather for home use

• Recommended books, websites, YouTube channels, and kits that inspire creativity and engineering exploration

Resources Mentioned:

• NASA STEM Activities

• TeachEngineering.org

• Mark Rober YouTube Channel

• Sean Connolly’s The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science

• Scratch Programming (Free tool) plus FundaFunda’s Scratch programming class

• PhET Interactive Simulations

• How to Code a Sandcastle (book)

• Rosie Revere, Engineer (book)

• The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay

• National Geographic STEM kits

• Lego STEM sets

• FundaFunda Academy’s curated STEM resources list on Amazon 

Learn More About the Course Mariselle offers:
Engineering A to Z is designed for grades 7–12 and helps students:

• Discover lesser-known engineering fields

• Explore course paths and careers in each specialty

• Engage in fun, hands-on activities with everyday materials

• Develop critical thinking and design-thinking skills

Bonus for younger students: Check out FundaFunda’s Simple Machines Unit Study and other science unit studies for grades 4–8.

Mariselle has also provided a resource list with more ideas for parents.

Take a look at show sponsor, FundaFunda Academy to see what they offer for online classes and web-based unit studies.

Join our Facebook Group especially for the listeners of this podcast! You can ask questions and get advice as you try integrating technology in your homeschool.

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