Lesson 2 of 8 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopThe Engineering Design Process
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
Engineers use the design process to solve problems: identify the problem, research, brainstorm solutions, build a prototype, test it, evaluate results, and improve the design.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- tape
- straws
- paper clips
Safety First
- Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
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 first step of the engineering design process?
Where you see this in real life
Every bridge, building, and gadget you've ever used started with this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find something that's broken at home and try to figure out *why* it broke.
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.
Ready?
The Engineering Design Process
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
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