Design
In this step, students review the possible solutions their team discussed in the brainstorming step and evaluate which of their ideas would work the best. Solutions can often be combined.
Students then create a specific plan for building their design, which may be a water filter, a tool to sample “fossil layers,” etc.
- Make sure student designs are as detailed as possible, including all the necessary components.
- Having a design will help students effectively interpret their results in the upcoming test and evaluate step. For example, if their filter design used mostly gravel and only met the criterion for time, they would interpret their results as needing less gravel in the next filter. But if the students changed their design and used cotton balls instead of gravel they wouldn’t know what material needed adjusting.
- When possible, include a template, like this one from the water filter challenge, on which the students can describe/draw their design.
Reflect on the design step in the water filter video on page 6. Recall how several students struggled with the build process, since they were interested in changing the design during that stage.
Watch the video again if you'd like, then answer the following questions:
- How did Ms. Salchli set up her students for success in implementing the design and build stages of the engineering design process?
- What techniques could you use in your design challenge to help students apply the engineering design process to produce easily interpretable results?
