The 2017-18 school year is already a month underway, and for many teachers in the area – like those in the West New York Public School District – the year got off to a fantastic start with a workshop from Liberty Science Center's NJSLS-S Institute.

On Sept. 7, a day before the school year began, 15 fourth grade teachers from West New York, NJ participated in an all-day course centered on integrating engineering practices in the classroom. This is one of nine courses offered by LSC's NJSLS-S Institute, a professional development series offering comprehensive training in incorporating the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science in the classroom.

The teachers spent the day discussing important elements and benefits of engineering design. The workshop took a hands-on approach through several different challenges, as teachers formed teams to plan, build, and re-design a prototype of an observation tower. They also used Play-Doh and modeling clay to create squishy circuits, ultimately lighting up LEDs on their animal designs.

The day ended with an engineering design challenge to protect a city from flooding, where teachers used materials such as gravel, craft sticks, and clay to build a prototype for a levee.

Check out these photos from the workshop, and click here to learn more about the courses offered by LSC's NJSLS-S Institute.

A group of teachers team up to build a prototype of an observation tower

A teacher uses clay and Play-Doh to create squishy circuits

A lit-up LED clay creation

Teachers team up on building a prototype for a levee to save a city from flooding