This collaboration between the Smithsonian's National Zoo and the Smithsonian Science Education Center introduces activities that are part of an innovative new project to help students in grades K-2 accomplish the engineering standards that guide STEM learning in over 40 states, including those that use the Next Generation Science Standards.

Early elementary engineering standards hinge upon the student's ability to identify and define problems and solutions, thus, the ability to understand, appreciate, and take the perspective of others is of critical importance.

The "Inspiring Engineering through Empathy" Learning Lab scaffolds student success in meeting these engineering standards by focusing on first developing the socioemotional skills inherent in these standards. Through play-based activities, students learn about and develop connections to and empathy for a red panda.

Once these activities have established an understanding of and appreciation for the needs of this animal, the engineering components of the lesson are introduced, leveraging the connections the students have developed to the red panda to help them understand and explore the problem and drive their intrinsic motivation to solve it.