Purdue University’s Engineering Education College has selected “SOIC and SOT” as the #1 children’s book on its pre-engineering STEM gift-giving guide. It is being incorporated into its SCALEk-12 STEM curriculum, which it publishes for public schools across the country! This will be rolled out on the PBS “Chip Kids” series in January.
Ten Best STEM Toys to Gift in 2024
For over a decade, Purdue University’s Inspire Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering has assembled an expert-reviewed list of toys that develop science, technology, engineering, and math skills. This year’s gift guide focuses on microelectronics, the tiny circuits and chips that make modern life possible.
Purdue University’s SCALE K-12 program works directly with school districts to develop curriculums that integrate microelectronics across all subjects and prepare students for defense-related microelectronics careers.
Jennifer Heap wanted to “look at some of the toys and books used in the curriculum at SCALE K-12, and put some of those onto the gift guide”. The selections must reflect different age levels and price points and cover all of the different categories, such as circuitry, robotics, coding, and programming.
This year, a book by EOS/ESD Association, Inc. volunteer Jeff Dunnihoo, owner of Pragma Design, was selected. EOS/ESD Association, Inc. is donating the complete book series to local elementary school libraries as part of its school-aged STEM activities. Executive Director Lisa Pimpinella said she is “excited to introduce the younger generation to the electronics industry through this fantastic series. This is a great way to introduce EOS/ESD Association, Inc.’s mission to the local community”.
EOS/ESD Association, Inc., was established in 1982 by a group of engineers at Griffis Air Force Base, Rome, NY, to address static electricity in the manufacturing process. In the last 46 years, the Association has grown its focus, mission, and volunteers worldwide, and its headquarters are still located in Rome.
SOIC and SOT: The Microchips
Ages 4+
In this 2018 book, two microchips named SOIC and SOT embark on a quest to discover their purpose, journeying from a warehouse through an electronic assembly line and out into the world. SOIC and SOT: The Microchips is geared toward elementary school readers, teaching students the basic knowledge of how microchips work. Author Jeffrey C. Dunnihoo should be well-versed in this subject—he’s an electrical engineer specializing in semiconductor and system development.
