Lesson 19 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopClimate Data: Reading the Past
Engineering and Design.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Constraints make you more creative, not less.
Mind = Blown
🌉 The Eiffel Tower can grow 6 inches taller in summer because metal expands when hot.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you test: how many tries until it works?
What You'll Learn
Climate data from ice cores, tree rings, and ocean sediments helps scientists understand past climate patterns and predict future changes.
Key Words
- criteria
- iteration
- wavelength
Materials Needed
- straws
- paper clips
- rubber bands
- string
- cups
- aluminum foil
Safety First
- Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
- Keep small objects away from young children.
Steps
Review the background information on Engineering and Design before starting.
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.
Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.
Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is wavelength?
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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