Lesson 25 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopForming a Hypothesis (Part 2)
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
A hypothesis is a testable prediction about what will happen in an experiment. A good hypothesis is specific and based on prior knowledge or observations.
Key Words
- variable
- control
Materials Needed
- popsicle sticks
- pennies
- plastic wrap
- cardboard
Safety First
- Do not taste any materials.
- Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.
- Wash hands after handling materials.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
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.
Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.
Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is the dependent variable?
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.
Checkout complete lesson on Engineering and Design for 8th Grade
Get the full Engineering and Design track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.