Lesson 16 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopEngineering Constraints and Criteria
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
Engineers must consider constraints (limitations like cost, time, and materials) and criteria (requirements the solution must meet) when designing solutions to problems.
Key Words
- criteria
- iteration
Materials Needed
- cardboard
- tape
- scissors
- straws
- paper clips
Safety First
- Keep small objects away from young children.
Steps
Read about Engineering and Design and write down three key facts.
Conduct a design challenge: build a car powered only by a balloon. Measure how far it travels and iterate on your design at least twice.
Watch carefully for any changes and note the time.
Create a data table to organize your measurements.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is peer review?
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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