Lesson 55 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopBuilding a Scientific Argument (Part 3)
Engineering and Design.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
The first design always fails. That's the point.
Mind = Blown
🛠️ The first computer bug was a literal moth stuck inside a machine in 1947.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: what's the weakest part of this build?
What You'll Learn
Scientific arguments require a claim, evidence, and reasoning. The claim states what you believe, evidence provides data supporting it, and reasoning explains how the evidence supports the claim.
Key Words
- evidence
- model
Materials Needed
- plastic wrap
- cardboard
- tape
- scissors
Safety First
- Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.
Steps
Read about Engineering and Design and write down three key facts.
Design a device that can protect an egg from a 2-meter drop. You may use paper, tape, straws, and cotton. Test it and improve your design.
Look for patterns in your observations.
Make a graph or chart showing your results.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What does a prism do to white light?
Where you see this in real life
Your phone, your bike, your shoes — all designed with this idea.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Build something — anything — out of stuff in your recycling bin.
For the dinner table
“What's something around the house you'd redesign — and how?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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