The inventor of the fi rst boat was an early engineer When challenged with a problem such as how to travel in a deep river without tiring and drowning innovative engineers fi gure out possible answers In this case the solution was something that fl oats on water and holds weight Thinking Like an Engineer An engineer defi nes a problem or need such as An engineer defi nes a problem or need such as transporting people or goods then thinks about all the ways it can be addressed They think about how each of their ideas might work decide which is best design and test a solution then continue to improve it An engineer thinks critically and creatively 5
The wheel was the crowning achievement in the early history of transportation But it was the invention of the axle that made it so useful An axle is the rod or spindle that goes through the center of a wheel or group of wheels which allows them to rotate axle axle A simple axle between two wheels was the first engineered land transportation vehicle Putting wheels on carts and buggies presented a new challenge Transportation routes needed to be widened and strengthened to bear the size and 6
weight of heavy vehicles Engineers developed solutions that allowed better roads to be constructed from crushed rock stones wood or bricks During the Roman Empire a gigantic road system was constructed In later years tracks called In later years tracks called wagonways were carved in stone so that wheeled vehicles could be pulled along more easily Fun Fact The wheel was not originally used for transportation Archaeological evidence shows they were fi rst used as potters wheels around 3500 BCE The fi rst wheeled vehicle the wheelbarrow wasn’t invented until 300 years later Canoes and the use of domesticated animals for transportation came long before the invention of the wheel Roman roads 7
