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Mateo.
Mateo and the Eagle Engineer is a children’s STEM story from EagleBots FTC Team 13532 that helps kids discover how engineers solve problems: by imagining ideas, building prototypes, testing what works, and improving what doesn’t.
Mateo and the Eagle Engineer
A children’s book from EagleBots FTC Team 13532
Mateo and the Eagle Engineer is an original children’s story created by members of EagleBots FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics Team 13532. Written by Maverick Diller and illustrated by Maeve Diller, the book introduces young readers to the engineering design process through a fun, heartfelt story about creativity, problem-solving, and perseverance.
The story follows Mateo, who realizes he forgot Mother’s Day and wants to make something special for his mom. With help from Eagle, Mateo learns that engineering starts with noticing a real problem. Instead of simply buying a gift, he observes that his mom’s spatula has a short handle that makes cooking difficult and unsafe. From there, Mateo begins thinking like an engineer.
He brainstorms ideas, sketches a design, builds a prototype, tests it, and then faces the moment every engineer knows well: his first version breaks. But rather than giving up, Mateo learns one of the most important lessons in engineering: failure is not the end of the process. It is part of the process.
Through Mateo’s adventure, kids learn that engineers are people who notice problems, imagine solutions, try ideas, improve their designs, and keep going when something does not work the first time. The book pairs naturally with EagleBots’ hands-on activity packet and worksheet resources, giving children a chance to follow the same process themselves: brainstorm, plan, build, test, and improve.
This project was created as part of EagleBots’ mission to make STEM accessible, creative, and fun for students in our community. As a FIRST Tech Challenge team and 4-H club based in Johnson County, Iowa, EagleBots works to inspire young people to explore robotics, engineering, teamwork, and innovation.
Whether read at home, in a classroom, at a library, or during an EagleBots outreach event, Mateo and the Eagle Engineer helps children see that they can become problem-solvers too.
Engineering begins with a problem. Innovation begins when someone decides to try.
What Kids Will Learn
Through Mateo’s story, young readers are introduced to the engineering design process in a simple and memorable way. They learn to identify a problem, brainstorm possible solutions, make a plan, build a prototype, test their idea, and improve it after something goes wrong.
The story helps children understand that mistakes are not failures. They are opportunities to learn, redesign, and make something better.
About the Activity Resources
The Mateo and the Eagle Engineer activity packet and worksheet help children turn the story into a hands-on engineering experience. Kids can choose a problem, sketch ideas, build a quick prototype using simple materials, test their invention, and create an improved Version 2.
These resources are designed for classrooms, libraries, STEM nights, 4-H events, scout groups, and EagleBots outreach activities.
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