Engineering Design Process Handouts & References Reviewed by Teachers

Intel

Understanding the Design Process

For Teachers 6th - 10th

Can you build a better mousetrap? Broken into two sessions, this plan introduces learners to the design process. The first session has pupils look at the world through a design perspective by redesigning everyday objects. In the second...

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WindWise Education

How Can I Design Better Blades?

For Teachers 6th - 12th

Small groups use information they have learned about blade construction to design, build, and test their own concepts. The teams compete in order to determine which design has the best average power output.

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Teach Engineering

Android App Development

For Teachers 9th - 12th

Building an accelerometer app for your Android device. Groups develop an app that uses the accelerometer on an Android device. The purpose of the activity is to reinforce the programming design. The post activity assessment challenges...

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Tech Museum of Innovation

Ant-Man Saves the Day

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards

Provide Ant-Man with a flying device to aid in fighting crime. The first installment of a five-part unit has learners designing and building a flying device for Ant-Man. They write a narrative essay describing the engineering process...

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PBS

Hands-On Engineering Challenges to Bolster Your Electricity, Sound, and Force Units

For Teachers 6th - 8th

Need some activities to go along with your unit? A collection of hands-on activities from PBS offers opportunities to add to your electricity, sound, and force units. The electricity activities revolve around building a...

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Teach Engineering

Edible Rovers (High School)

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards

Design and build a rover ... then eat it? This activity has groups of two design and build Mars rovers. The teams determine what instruments they want to include with their rover and plan a budget. They calculate the cost of the body of...

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Teach Engineering

Edible Rovers

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards

The good thing about building this rover is you get to eat it afterwards. Pairs determine rover parts they want to include in their design based upon their cost and usefulness. The teams design their rovers, build them from edible...

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TryEngineering

Program Your Own Game

For Students 6th - 12th

Young computer scientists get to see what it's like to be a software engineer as they use free online software to design a computer game. They play and evaluate games groups created to round out the activity.

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Center for Learning in Action

Challenge with Solids, Liquids, and Gases

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards

There's a container for every matter—liquid, solid, and gas. Pupils design three different containers, each with the capability to hold one of the states of matter, and share their design with the class.

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NASA

Touchdown

For Teachers 3rd - 8th

Individuals design and build a set of shock absorbers to protect their astronauts when they land. Using a limited amount of supplies, pupils build a system that will keep two large marshmallows from flying out of a cup when it lands...

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NASA

On Target

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards

NASA's LCROSS mission is dropping a probe into a lunar crater. Groups design a system to travel down a zip line and drop a marble onto a target in the classroom. The groups then modify their designs based upon testing.

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Teach Engineering

Where Are the Plastics Near Me? (Mapping the Data)

For Teachers 7th - 9th

The last activity in a nine-part series has teams create a Google Earth map using the data they collected during a field trip. Using the map, groups analyze the results and make adjustments to the map to reflect their analysis. A short...

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Teach Engineering

Tippy Tap Plus Piping

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards

Getting water to a tap requires an understanding the fundamentals of fluid flow. Groups design, build, and test a piping system to get water from the source — a five gallon bucket — to a tippy tap. The objective is to be able to...

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Towson University

Mystery Tubes

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards

How do scientists know they're right? Truth be told, they don't always know. Explore the scientific process using mystery tubes in an insightful activity. Young scientists discover how to approach and solve problems in science, how ideas...

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Teach Engineering

The Mighty Heart

For Teachers 9th - 12th

Have your class follow the step-by-step directions in this resource to dissect a sheep heart and gain a better understanding of this amazing organ. Working in small groups, pupils look for specific parts of the heart during their...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Launch It (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to design an air-powered rocket to take you to the moon that can hit a distant target. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, evaluate, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Zip Line (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to design and build a ping-pong ball carrier that can go from the top of a zip line string to the bottom in four seconds or less. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Touchdown (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to build a shock-absorbing system that will protect astronauts when they land on the moon. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, evaluate, and redesign it if necessary. Activity...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: On Target (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to modify a paper cup so it can zip down a line and launch a marble on a target. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, evaluate, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Feel the Heat (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to heat things up by building a solar hot water heater. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Activity focuses on the engineering design process and the...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Dance Pad Mania (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to build a dance pad that lets you use your feet to either flash a light or to sound a buzzer. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign the pad if necessary. Activity...

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Motorized Car (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to make a car that uses a battery-operated motor. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to design, build, test, and redesign it if necessary. Also, includes ideas for taking your design to the next level....

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Blimp Jet [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to add a jet-propulsion system such as a balloon to a Sky Glider blimp so it flies straight and far under its own power. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to build, test, and redesign it if necessary....

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PBS

Pbs Kids: Design Squad Challenge: Watercraft (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th

Hands-on challenge to build an unsinkable boat out of straws and plastic wrap that can hold twenty five pennies. Provides full list of materials with ideas on how to build, test, evaluate, and redesign it if necessary. Also, includes...

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