Engineering Design Process

C.J.Dicks, Kevin Metzger, Rob Rapaport

Agenda

● 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-design-process/

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.