Engineering and Design
6th Grade Science · 10 lessons
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Lessons
- 1Protecting Natural ResourcesConservation efforts protect natural resources and biodiversity. Reducing waste, recycling, protecting habitats, and using renewable energy all help preserve Earth's resources.Experiment
- 2Engineering Renewable EnergyRenewable resources like solar panels and wind turbines generate clean energy. Human innovation in engineering continues to make these technologies more efficient and affordable.Experiment
- 3Constraints and CriteriaEngineers must consider constraints (limitations like cost, time, and materials) and criteria (requirements the solution must meet) when designing solutions to problems.Experiment
- 4Defining a Problem Before Solving ItEngineers begin by stating exactly what needs to solve, for whom, and how success will be measured. A vague problem produces a vague design; a problem written as a testable statement tells you immediately whether your prototype worked.Lesson
- 5Prototypes and IterationA prototype is a rough first build whose job is to fail early and cheaply. Each test shows one weakness, you change one thing, and you test again. Engineers expect several rounds — a design that works first time usually was not tested hard enough.Experiment
- 6Trade-offs in DesignAlmost no design maximises everything at once. Making a bike frame lighter usually makes it weaker or more expensive. Engineers name the trade-off explicitly and choose deliberately rather than pretending it does not exist.Lesson
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