Engineering Ethics: Evaluating Popular Inventions

Each group needs:

• set of 16 "best inventions of the year," such as from Time Magazine's annual ranking at https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2020/#design; also provided in Top Inventions of the Year Set (PDF) for easier printing; print one invention (picture and description) per page; alternatively, find a more current selection of "inventions of the year" on the Internet
• 2 stickers per student, such as two colors of post-it notes, to designate first and second choices
• Activity Worksheet (PDF), one per student
• Code of Ethics for Engineers (PDF); reprinted by permission of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) www.nspe.org
• printout of the "Car Mechanic Dreams up a Tool to Ease Births" New York Times article at https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/health/new-tool-to-ease-difficult-births-a-plastic-bag.html?_r=0, one per student; also provided in this reading document (PDF) for easier printing

To share with the entire class:

• an extra printout of the group set of 16 "best inventions of the year" (pictures and descriptions) to post around the classroom in a gallery-walk style
• Ethics in Engineering Day 1 Presentation (PPTX), a PowerPoint® file
• Ethics in Engineering Day 2 Presentation (PPTX), a PowerPoint® file
• computer and projector, to show the slide presentations to the class