Work Sample: Engineering Design

Grades 3-5

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Engineering Design:Background for the Instructor

How do engineers solve problems?– Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem

• What is the design for?• What are the criteria and constraints of a

successful solution?– Developing Possible Solutions

• What is the process for developing potential design solutions?

– Optimizing the Design Solution• How can the various proposed design solutions

be compared and improved?

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Resource: http://www.cposcience.com/

Resource: http://download.intel.com/education/common/en/resources/DD/ResourceCard_wholePage.pdf

The Engineering CycleHow do engineers solve problems?

First of all, help students understand the Engineering Cycle•THINK IT!

• First describe the problem or need you want to

solve•EXPLORE IT!

• Make a list of possible ways to solve the problem•SKETCH IT!

• Draw a picture of your idea•CREATE IT!

• Build your prototype and be sure to write down each step•TRY IT!

• Perform experiments to find out how well your prototype works•TWEAK IT!

• How can you improve on your prototype or model?

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Scoring Domain 1:Identifying and Defining a Problem to Be SolvedBased on observations and scientific principles, formulate the statement of a problem or need that can be addressed through the process of engineering design.

Scoring Guide:• Uses design criteria and constraints to clarify the problem

Identifying and Defining a Problem to be Solved

The design constraints and criteria* should reflect the needs of society or the end-user and address such things as:

• The product’s or system’s function (students need to identify what job it will perform and how)

• Availability or cost of materials (provide students with an example of a Bill of Materials, a budget, and/or a cost analysis sheet)

• Aesthetics• Its reliability and durability• Limits on its size

* Help students understand the terms - constraints and criteria. A constraint is a limitation or condition that must be satisfied by a design. A criterion is a standard or attribute of a design that can be measured. 4

Students need to be able to…- Explain the problem they need to solve.- Specify how they will solve it.

Note: The problem should be related to the science curriculum previously studied.

Third Grade Expectations

Teacher gives students a problem to be solved, design criteria, and constraints.

Students need to be able to…• Identify a testable engineering problem that they

could solve.• Specify how they will solve it (design criteria and

constraints).• Link their problem and solution to prior knowledge,

observations, or scientific principles.

Note: The problem should be related to the science curriculum previously studied.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Expectations

Instructional Scaffolds

• Discuss current world or community problems that could be solved through engineering (pollution, oil spills, building new bridges, better school designs).

• Provide examples of problems that have been solved through engineering (inventions).

• Bring in everyday objects and discuss the problems they were designed to solve (hammer, can opener, tape dispenser, stapler) .

• Create sentence frames such as “A _____ solved the problem of ____.”

Scoring Domain 2:Generating Possible Solutions

Select an engineering solution and evaluate that solution using criteria and constraints.

Scoring Guide:• Proposes a testable engineering solution to the identified

problem• Evaluates (Communicates – grade 3) the proposed solution in

terms of design criteria and constraints

Components of Effective Possible Engineering Solutions

• More than one possible solution• Evaluate the proposed solution to see if it would

work• Evaluate constraints of problems. i.e. “What is

important? What is not?”• Justifies a solution for testing.

Scaffolding:Generating Possible Solutions

• Review real life engineering problems and solutions: Failed inventions, oil spills, and historical events

• Provide current research examples of problems and solutions

• Start with whole class activity (Gradual Release)

• Provide models and modeling

Instruction - Scaffolding• Understand cause and effect• Materials• Prototype Defined• Sequencing • Solution needs to directly relate

to the problem• Understand how to evaluate-

evaluate a solution• Have to perform a solution that

is testable • Define testable • Solution connects to the

problem

• Sentence Frame/Graphic Organizer• How to use and list available materials• Examples of a prototype “working

model”• Act it out, arrange a sequence, graphic

organizer• Speech to verbally justify solution • Rubric, science checklist, defend their

solution • Guidelines for design

Scoring Domain 3:Testing Solutions and Collecting Data:Test solution by collecting, organizing, and displaying data to facilitate the analysis of test results.

Scoring Guide:• Designs and builds a prototype that addresses the problem and can be tested with appropriate tools, materials, and resources.• Records the results from testing the solution.• Presents the results in a format that facilitates analysis (Uses a teacher provided data table - grade 3)

Scaffolds

• Create a student friendly checklist that students need to follow

• Use the Gradual Release of Responsibility model for instruction

• Provide sentence frames to support students development of ideas

Scoring Domain 4: Analyzing and Interpreting Results

Select an engineering solution and evaluate that solution using criteria and constraints.

Scoring Guide:•Proposes an engineering solution to the identified problem•Evaluates the proposed solution in terms of design criteria and constraints

Steps for Analyzing and Interpreting Results• Summarize the results• Was the problem solved?• Can the problem be solved?

- without being too expensive?- without hurting people or the environment?- by matching its appearance to its intended purpose?

• List possible problems created by the design• What happens if the design doesn’t work?

Scaffolding Skills and Sentence Frames

Summarizing• The problem began when __________.• The ___________ tried to __________.• After that, ________________.• Then, __________________• The problem was finally resolved when __________________.

Cause and Effect• If ____ is ____, then ____.• One possible outcome of ____ might be ____.• Because ____ is ____, the result will be ____.

Making Judgments• I think ________ are ____________.• I think that ________ is important to ________ because

__________.• In my opinion ___________decided to __________.

Lessons and Links• Test specifications 2011-12

– https://salkeiz-cia.orvsd.org/sites/salkeiz-cia.orvsd.org/files/Grade%203-5%20Blueprints.pdf

p. 14-16 – grade 3p. 27-29 – grade 4p. 39-41 – grade 5

• 2011-12 Student Language Scoring Guide– http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/scoring/guides/s

tudent/sciscorguide_stdnteng_proposed1112.doc

• Lessons– http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/category/lessons/grades-k-5-lessons/

• Museum of Science, Boston: “Engineering is Elementary “ -- http://www.mos.org/eie/

Vocabulary (Taken from ODE Test Specifications and Blueprints)

Grade 3– engineering design– limitations– convenience– invention– lifestyle– necessity– technology– magnify

Grade 4– science principles– engineering design– mass– consequence– outcome

Grade 5– feasibility– prototype– constraints– engineering design– environmental impact– novel

Some definitions can be found at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=518

ODE Support:http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=518

- Key Terms (definitions)- Sample Middle School Engineering Design Notebook- Sample Middle School Engineering Design Template

http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=496Test Specifications and Blueprints – provides information on

content eligible for OAKS testing for all science content including Engineering and Design