Mechanical Engineering: Structural Analysis & Design

• Test foundational physics principles through levers and pulleys

• Compare materials for structural and design decisions

• Build circuits for an introductory mechanical system

• Experiment with heat transfer and insulation

• Design, prototype, and test a miniature calorimeter

• Present system performance and explain design revisions

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Apply physics, materials, electricity, and thermodynamics to engineering problems

• Build and test a functional device against defined performance criteria

• Explain an iterative design process using evidence from prototype testing

Students leave with a functional calorimeter prototype, design documentation, and experience connecting engineering theory with testing and improvement.

Mechanical engineering requires students to connect theory with measurable performance. A design must account for forces, materials, energy, electricity, manufacturing, and the way components interact.

Building and testing a device makes iteration unavoidable. Students identify why a prototype misses its specifications, adjust the design, and document the evidence behind the change. These habits strengthen quantitative reasoning, creativity, troubleshooting, and engineering communication. Together, these skills strengthen careful reasoning, responsible professional judgment, and the ability to revise a conclusion when new evidence changes the picture.

This course is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and are interested in mechanical engineering, physics, structures, materials, energy, manufacturing, or design. It fits students who want to build and test a working system.

Participants should be ready for quantitative reasoning, hands-on experiments, circuit building, prototype development, troubleshooting, and presentation. Persistence and willingness to learn from failed tests will be valuable. Success depends on careful preparation, steady participation, and respect for classmates’ perspectives throughout the course.

Based on students surveyed in Summer Discovery’s 2026 program at the University of Michigan.

Programs on the University of Michigan campus give high-school students the experience of exploring an academic interest in Ann Arbor, a college town where campus and community life blend together. Tree-lined streets, downtown bookstores and cafés, the Nichols Arboretum, and trails near the Huron River create different ways to experience the setting beyond class.

Students learn alongside peers, navigate a large and active campus, and gain independence through everyday choices in a new environment. The experience helps students understand what university life can feel like while giving them space to deepen an interest without having every next step decided. For families, the program offers a meaningful combination of academic depth, community, personal growth, and clearer direction about what a student may want to study or pursue next.

Mechanical engineers work in energy, transportation, robotics, manufacturing, aerospace, consumer products, and many other industries. They analyze systems, select materials, create prototypes, test performance, and improve designs.

Students practice that cycle through physics experiments, material analysis, circuit building, heat-transfer tests, and a calorimeter capstone. The experience offers a practical introduction to mechanical engineering, energy systems, product design, manufacturing, and applied physics. The work also shows how specialists collaborate across roles and communicate important evidence-based decisions to colleagues, clients, organizations, or the public in complex professional settings.