Lesson 18 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopTechnology and Innovation
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
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems. From simple tools to complex computers, technology shapes how humans interact with the world.
Key Words
- criteria
- test
Materials Needed
- rubber bands
- string
- cups
- aluminum foil
- ruler
Safety First
- Clean up spills immediately to prevent slipping.
- Use materials only as directed in the experiment.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Build a water filter using a bottle, sand, gravel, cotton, and charcoal. Pour muddy water through and measure how clear the output is.
Look for patterns in your observations.
Make a graph or chart showing your results.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What happens when light hits a mirror?
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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