Module designed to bridge chemical engineering theory with real-world applications to provide students with an appreciation of the breadth of the discipline

This one hour module is designed for a first-year intro to chemical engineering course, but the format can be adapted to any introductory course. The module is designed to bridge chemical engineering theory with real-world applications to provide students with an early appreciation of the breadth of the discipline. Students should develop an understanding of the global impact that chemical engineers have had on our planet and the grand challenges that they are working to address.  The handout is adapted from the Rank Order Activity demonstrated at the ICE Workshops.

Students work individually to chronologically rank the list of chemical engineering inventions provided in the handout. They then work in pairs to create a new rank, and finally in teams. The instructor then presents the inventions in order with a description of each and how it pertains to the chemical engineering curriculum. After the students have received the correct ranking, they calculate their delta for each team situation.