6.933J / STS.420J provides an integrated approach to engineering practice in the real world. Students of 6.933J / STS.420J research the life cycle of a major engineering project, new technology, or startup company from multiple perspectives: technical, economic, political, and cultural. Research involves interviewing inventors, reading laboratory notebooks, evaluating patents, and looking over the shoulders of engineers as they developed today’s technologies. This subject is for students who recognize that technical proficiency alone is only part of the formula for success in technology.

Structure—or the arrangement of materials’ internal components—determines virtually everything about a material: its properties, its potential applications, and its performance within those applications. This three-part course explores the structure of a wide variety of materials with current-day engineering applications. Taken together, the three modules provide similar content to MIT’s sophomore-level materials structure curriculum.
Part 1 of the course introduces amorphous materials and explores glasses and polymers, the factors that influence their structure, and how materials scientists measure and describe the structure of these materials. Then we discuss what it means for a material to be crystalline, how we describe periodic arrangement of atoms in a crystal, and how we can determine the structure of crystals through x-ray diffraction. Parts 2 and 3 explore the structure of materials in further depth.
This course was organized as a three-part series on MITx by MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and is now archived on the Open Learning Library, which is free to use. You have the option to sign up and enroll in each module if you want to track your progress, or you can view and use all the materials without enrolling.

This article details an investigation designed and carried out by fourth-grade students about bird behavior in cold weather.

Studying life on the seafloor beneath Antarctica's thick ice is a major challenge for ecologists. Learn about a new device that can reach those icy depths in this video segment adapted from WomenInAntarctica.com.

This video segment from FRONTLINE/NOVA: "Harvest of Fear" explores genetic modification of salmon and possible consequences.

Students act as surgical residents for the day. Working in teams, they use surgical instruments to complete tasks that are inside of a box, hidden from direct view. They are able to see inside of the box with the help of a "laparoscope" (webcam and flashlight). This engaging activity shows students one application of engineered medical instrumentation and gives them first-hand experience in seeing how form fits function. They also learn that an engineer's job does not end with a finished product because s/he must train others to use the device correctly.

The sustainability learning suites is a set of learning objects created for people with a post-secondary science background, organized in six themes: Systems thinking; Sustainable development; Population; Energy; Water and Materials. The materials are designed on Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning and include: learning objectives, editable slides with notes and embedded classroom activities, activities of 1-3 hours, assessments, and a set of 24 videos.

Learning about sustainability requires systems-thinking and a curiosity to explore. In the COVID-19 edition of a sustainability course, there were many chances to create new learning opportunities not only from the course content, but also from the world around us, the media and news, and from each other.Students in the course CIVE230: Engineering and Sustainable Development were tasked with making a contribution to sustainability efforts. They have been hard at work throughout the term to share a sustainability idea that were compiled in an e-book “The Sustainability Contribution Project” which showcases their ideas that cover all course topics as they apply to cities around the world. This activity encouraged students to explore sustainable cities, infrastructure, solutions and technologies globally to generate an enriched learning experience and create an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning. Together, they co-created content.This e-book serves as a contribution by the class for the class, and for the wider engineering education community. I encourage you to have a look through. 

The sustainability learning suites is a set of learning objects created for people with a post-secondary science background, organized in six themes: Systems thinking; Sustainable development; Population; Energy; Water and Materials. The materials are designed on Fink's Taxonomy of Significant Learning and include: learning objectives, editable slides with notes and embedded classroom activities, activities of 1-3 hours, assessments, and a set of 24 videos.

This video looks at the meaning of sustainable development and why the current best practices prescribe participatory methods. It also presents a visual model for sustainable development that is closer to the physical reality than the "triple bottom line" model of environmental, equity, and economic goals. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

This video explores the meaning of sustainable development from a biomimicry view. It is largely based on the work of CS Holling and associates. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

This video explores the meaning of sustainable development from a biomimicry view. It is largely based on the work of CS Holling and associates. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

This video considers a model of human impact proposed by Ehrlich and Holdren called the "IPAT" equation. It reveals its underlying assumptions and the additional opportunities for reducing impact. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

By independent study of the book Sustainable Development for Engineers (K.F. Mulder, 2006) students acquire basic knowledge about sustainable development

The course provides a systematic framework to understand the most challenging issues in sustainability in the real estate industry. It examines economic mechanisms, technological advances, business models, building design, and investment and financing strategies available for the different market players to promote sustainability in the building sector.
Prof. Siqi Zheng is the faculty director of the MIT Center for Real Estate and founder and director of the MIT Sustainable Urbanization Lab. She specializes in urban and environmental economics, with a special focus on sustainable cities and real estate.
Zhengzhen Tan is a lecturer and researcher with MIT Center for Real Estate and MIT Asia Real Estate Initiative, specializing in real estate sustainability, healthy buildings, and digital technology innovation.
Prof. Juan Palacios is a visiting professor from Maastricht University whose research focuses on environmental economics, sustainable real estate, and health economics.

Students explore how pendulums work and why they are useful in everyday applications. In a hands-on activity, they experiment with string length, pendulum weight and angle of release. In an associated literacy activity, students explore the mechanical concept of rhythm, based on the principle of oscillation, in a broader biological and cultural context in dance and sports, poetry and other literary forms, and communication in general.

Introduction to the concept of a dynamic system. Includes discussion of system and surroundings and system boundaries. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives, Assessment, and Activities.

This video explains thermodynamic systems, open and closed systems, and the four key properties of a system. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives, Assessment, and Activities.

This video looks at the cause of system behavior as being like an iceberg. This idea was proposed by Peter Senge in his book, "The Fifth Discipline" (1990), Doubleday Publishers. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives, Assessment, and Activities.

This video explains Aristotle's model of causality and how it can be used to gain insight into systemic behavior. Many of the ideas presented in this video have been contributed by Roger Burton. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives, Assessment, and Activities.