Lesson 34 of 84 · Engineering and Design
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🛠️ Engineer ShopRenewable Energy Technology (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
Renewable resources like solar panels and wind turbines generate clean energy. Human innovation in engineering continues to make these technologies more efficient and affordable.
Key Words
- prototype
- design
- constraint
Materials Needed
- straws
- paper clips
- rubber bands
- string
- cups
- aluminum foil
Safety First
- Do not mix unknown chemicals together.
- Tie back long hair before starting the experiment.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Build a simple seismograph using a pen, cup, string, and paper. Shake the table and record the marks. Can you detect bigger vs. smaller shakes?
Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.
Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What is a constraint in engineering?
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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