Engineering Design Process
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What You Are Learning
Hey there, awesome fifth graders! Learning about the Engineering Design Process is like learning how to build really cool stuff and solve tricky problems, just like superheroes do. Imagine you're on an adventure where you get to ask interesting questions, dream up amazing ideas, make plans like a treasure map, create things with your hands, and then make them even better. It's like being a super inventor! You'll learn how to do each step, step by step, so you can become a master problem-solver and creator. Just think about making your own special gadgets, designing cool games, or even building awesome treehouses – all with the power of the Engineering Design Process!
How You Will Learn
You'll learn through STEM Ed Today's 7 Step Learning Framework: recall, notate, read, write, watch, craft, and test. First, we'll start with the recall section to help spark your memory about today's lesson. Next, you will take notes about important facts. After, you will read a story about the subject to help build your understanding. Later, you will explain your learning through writing which helps develop your scientific learning. Nearing the end, you will watch a video that helps explain the concept and better solidify your understanding through visual representation. After, you will have a hands-on project that will let you show off your newly learned skills. Last, you will be tested so we can see what you may need to study more of. Whichever the case, you will have a comprehensive learning experience with this lesson.
Let's Get Started
So scroll down, follow the directions, and explore this fascinating topic!
1. Recall
Directions
Recalling science information before learning is a good idea because it helps us remember and understand new information better. It's like warming up before doing exercise or stretching before playing a sport.
Read through the article below to spark your memory and how it can affect our lives. After you finish reading, answer the questions form the What Do You Already Know Worksheet. If you need to download the worksheet, click on the picture of it or here.
Exploring the Exciting World of Engineering: The Design Process
​Hey there, young explorers! Have you ever wondered how cool gadgets, amazing buildings, and awesome inventions come to life? Well, it's all thanks to something called the Engineering Design Process. This is like a magical journey that engineers take to turn their wildest ideas into reality. Let's hop on this adventure together and learn about the five awesome steps that make up this process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve.
Step 1: Ask
It all begins with curiosity! Engineers ask lots of questions to understand a problem or come up with a new idea. For example, let's say you've noticed that your bicycle's wheels keep getting stuck in the mud. You might ask, "How can I make my bike ride smoothly even on muddy paths?" This is the first step – asking the right questions to figure out what you want to solve or create.
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Step 2: Imagine
Now, let your imagination run wild! Imagine all sorts of solutions or inventions that could solve the problem. Going back to the muddy bike situation, you might think of installing bigger and tougher tires, adding a special mudguard, or even inventing a hoverbike that hovers above the mud! The sky's the limit in this step – dream big!
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Step 3: Plan
Time to put on your thinking cap! In this step, engineers plan how to turn their imaginative ideas into real-life designs. Continuing with the bike example, you'd draw detailed sketches of your mud-fighting inventions, think about what materials you'd need, and plan how to put everything together. It's like creating a map to guide you on your journey to success.
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Step 4: Create
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and start building! This is where the magic really happens. Using your plans as a guide, you start creating your invention. Imagine constructing your super mudguard using strong materials, attaching it to the bike just right, and seeing it all come together. It's like bringing your dreams into the real world!
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Step 5: Improve
No journey is complete without a little detour. In this step, engineers test and improve their creations. So, after attaching your mudguard, you'd take your bike out for a spin on a muddy trail. If your bike still gets stuck sometimes, you'd go back to the drawing board and tweak your invention – maybe make the mudguard even stronger or change its shape. It's all about making things better and better.
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Inventors in Action: The Mars Rover
Here's a real-life example: NASA engineers designed the Mars Rover, a super robot that explores the Red Planet. They asked, "How can we learn about Mars without going there?" They imagined a car-sized robot with cameras and tools. They planned every detail, from its wheels to its scientific instruments. Then, they built it and sent it to Mars! But guess what? The first rover had some trouble. So, they improved the design, and now, rovers like Perseverance are exploring Mars better than ever!
So, whether you're dreaming up a cool invention or solving a tricky problem, remember the Engineering Design Process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve. This process is like a treasure map that guides you on a fantastic journey of turning your ideas into reality. Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll be the brilliant engineer behind the next big thing that changes the world!
Directions
Great reading! Now it's time to fill out the What Do You Already Know Worksheet before moving on to the next section, Notate.
2. Notate
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Directions
Taking notes means writing down important information that you learn in science class. It's like making a list of important things you want to remember. When you take notes, it helps you to remember what you learned and to study better. Science can be a little tricky, but taking notes can make it easier to understand the big ideas and remember important details.
Launch the presentation below to learn some more science facts about solar energy. As you read, fill out the Science Notation Worksheet. Try to take at least 1 note per page.
Read
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Directions
STEM professionals rely on reading a lot to get the information they need for their work. To be successful in STEM, students should learn ways to better understand what they read, especially when it comes to nonfiction texts and the important things they need to know.
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To get started, click on the book below and read it carefully. Once you have finished reading, move on to the Reading Reflections Worksheet and complete it.
The Invasive Reptile Ruckus
The book, "The Invasive Reptile Ruckus" is a story about four fifth-graders - Alex, Maya, Jackson, and Lily, who love to go on adventures together. While exploring their school playground, they stumble upon a group of lizards that they had never seen before. After realizing that these lizards are an invasive species that can harm the environment, the group decides to research and create a plan to safely remove them without hurting them or other wildlife in the area. They use the design process to ask questions, explore ideas, create a model, explain ideas, and analyze the situation. The group designs and creates traps to catch the invasive reptiles in their neighborhood and prevent them from laying eggs and multiplying. The book teaches readers about the negative effects of invasive species and how small actions can have a big impact on the environment.
Reading Reflection Worksheet
After finishing reading, work on this Reading Reflection Worksheet. These questions were designed to help get you thinking about the story, the lesson, and many other things were learning about with this book.
Write
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Directions
Writing is an important part of science because it helps us learn better. When we learn something new in science, we have to understand it and use words to explain it. This helps us remember and understand it better. When we write about what we learn in science, we have to think carefully and use our own words to explain it. This helps us understand it even more deeply. So, writing about science helps us learn more and remember what we learned better.
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Let's work on the Scientific Writing Worksheet below! By completing this worksheet, you can learn even more and practice your existing knowledge and engineering skills.
In this reflective writing activity, you will be exploring the concept of invasive species and its impact on the environment. You will be using a systematic process, which includes planning, translation, peer review, and editing, to connect different ideas and reflect on what you have learned.
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To get started, you will need to plan out your writing. Think about what you have learned about invasive species and how it affects the environment. You can write down some notes or draw a mind map to help you organize your thoughts.
Next, you will translate your ideas into writing. This means you will write down your thoughts and ideas in sentences and paragraphs. Remember to use clear language that your peers can understand.
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Once you have written your reflective piece, it's time for peer review. Ask a classmate or a teacher to read your writing and give you feedback. This feedback will help you to improve your writing and make it clearer for your audience.
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Finally, you will edit your work. This means you will read through your writing and make any necessary changes to improve the clarity and accuracy of your ideas. This is an important step to ensure that your message is effectively communicated.
By going through this process, you will deepen your understanding of invasive species and how it impacts the environment. I can't wait to read your reflective writing piece!
Watch
Directions
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show that has cool science stuff in it? Maybe you saw a cartoon that explained how your body works or a video game that taught you about space. These are all examples of artistic representations of scientific ideas or facts, and they can be really helpful for you to understand and remember science concepts.
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When you see a picture or a video that shows you how something works or how it looks, it can be easier for you to remember it. It's like when you draw a picture of something to help you remember it for a test. Artistic representations can also make science more fun and interesting, especially if you don't like reading or listening to lectures.
Edpuzzle Videos
Get ready to be amazed by this awesome Edpuzzle video! It's filled with exciting visuals and information that will help you better understand and explore the topic. When asked, answer the questions throughout the video by typing in your answers. So, click on the video preview and let's discover new things together!
Create
Directions
Hands-on, project-based learning activities are great for learning science. They help you understand scientific concepts in a fun and engaging way. When you work on projects, you get to use your hands to experiment and explore, which helps you understand things better. By doing projects, you get to see and experience scientific ideas for yourself, which helps you understand them much better. Hands-on projects also help you think creatively and solve problems, which is a really important skill in science and in life.
Investigating Invasive Species
Welcome, young scientists!
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In today's lesson, you will learn about invasive species and their impact on our environment. You will work in groups to research and create a presentation on a specific invasive species.
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First, you will learn what an invasive species is and how it affects ecosystems. Then, you will choose a partner or be assigned to a group and research your assigned invasive species. You will find out where it came from, how it got here, and how it is impacting our environment.
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Next, you will create a visual aid, like a poster or PowerPoint presentation, to show what you learned about your invasive species. You will also prepare a brief presentation to share your findings with the class.
Finally, you will present your research to the class and answer any questions your classmates may have.
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Remember, the goal of this lesson is to educate ourselves and others about the impact of invasive species on our environment. So, let's work together and have fun while learning about this important topic!
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Materials Needed Include:
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Computer with internet access
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Paper and pencils
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Field guides to local flora and fauna
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Poster board, markers, and other art supplies
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Plant samples of both native and invasive species
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Test
Directions
The big test you will take covers different things you learned throughout the lesson. The test is made for kids your age, and the questions are made from the material you just learned.
You will.