Engineering Design Process
C.J.Dicks, Kevin Metzger, Rob Rapaport
Agenda
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Make a building PBS video
EDP process
‘Real world example’ - biodigester
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Project 2 - Mousetrap car
Questions/Comments?
What Is the Design Process? PBS Learning
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.engin.design.desprocess/what-is-the-designprocess/
Engineering Design Process
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Identify and define:
Environmental engineers must piece
together liners for real landfills that
are acres and acres in size. This is
done to prevent contamination of
groundwater located near the landfill.
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Gather Information:
● Let students loose with
technology and information
(pictures, videos).
o Don’t feel comfortable?
Provide resources for them.
● No talking during this part of the
project.
● Take notes on paper.
● Students must create ONE
DESIGN by themselves.
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Identify Alternatives:
● Students take turns sharing his
or her design(s).
● No talking while each student is
sharing.
● The other team members take
notes while the other students
share.
● Each team will have 3 designs to
choose from at the end of this
activity (one per team member)
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Select Best Solution
● Students pick the design they
think will be successful.
● If students disagree, they can
combine designs.
● If students still argue and
disagree, they can choose the
order for the three design
choices.
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Implement Solution
● Build and test the “best” solution.
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Evaluate Solution/
Communicate
● Student teams share out their
designs and their results.
● Middle School students need
guided questioning OR this will
take forever.
Project 1 - Make a landfill liner
Refine
● Redesign and retest based on
communicated results.
● Can be a reflection or can be
an actual retesting.
Suggestion:
*One variable->Share-> Redesign
after sharing
Project 2: Overview
● This unit was written for
an integrated CP Math 2
class in a co-taught
situation.
● One teacher and one
intervention specialist.
● 12 students per class
with IEP.
Project 2: Mouse Trap Cars
● The main topic of
this lesson is linear
equations.
● Students will
measure distance
vs. time.
Activity 1: Tennis ball drop
● Students were required
to take data of how long
it took a ball to reach the
ground.
● Students practice
determining
relationships between
two different quantities
of variables.
Activity 2: Engineering Design Process
● Students used the
engineering design
process to create a
prototype of a
working mouse trap
car.
Activity 2: Constraints
Materials:
● 1 12in piece of wood
● rubber bands
● 4 cd’s
● 2 axles
● nuts/washers
● tape
● 3 mouse traps
● string (arm length)
Group work:
● Each group will be
given a kit that
contains the
necessary
materials for a
mouse trap car.
● Take 5-10 minutes
to “tinker” with the
kit.
● In your group,
begin filling out the
EDP activity
worksheet for 10
minutes.