Positives

• The personal perspective of Tinotenda Jonga, who grew up in South Africa before immigrating to the United States, is an engaging account that will inspire students.
• The resource highlights the real-world importance of problem-solving and systems-thinking skills.

Additional Prerequisites

• There are some acronyms used that students will likely be unfamiliar with, such as CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
• Students should know the difference between soft skills and technical skills.
• It may help students to know some background about South Africa.

Differentiation

• To get an idea of what this work might be like, students can identify a transportation issue in their community, research possible solutions, and draft a proposal to solve this issue.
• English language arts classes can use this resource to practice reading informational text and analyzing the author's rhetoric, purpose, and point of view.
• Engineering classes can use this resource to learn about career paths in this field and the real-world applications for engineering skills.
• Students can discuss the link between transportation and climate change and brainstorm ways a transportation engineer may implement mitigation and adaptation strategies.