Design Challenge Curriculum
Design Challenge Learning represents an essential aspect of The Tech's Design in Mind Learning pedagogy where students engage in the design process to solve a relevant, authentic, real-world problem. Student teams apply and reinforce their Science as well as Mathematics, Social Studies and Language Arts content knowledge, through an open-ended design process that results in an original solution. Students take responsibility for assessing their own progress and incorporate peer feedback as they conceptualize and redesign their projects. The following are the three main phases of Design Challenge Learning:
Process:
Conceptualize
Construct & Test
Acquire Knowledge
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The diagram above represents the engineering and/or design process. Teams do not follow a linear path from problem to solution, but rather weave in and out of conceptualizing, constructing and testing, and acquiring knowledge, all the while applying multiple skills and habits of mind of innovators. Through the Design Challenge process, students have the opportunity to build broad skills useful throughout their lives, regardless of the specifics of the challenge. In using this open-ended approach that leads to the creation of numerous designs, students are challenged to apply their domain knowledge, personal experiences, interests and talents to the process of creating an inventive, team driven solution. This approach creates a powerful learning experience, where students are intrinsically inspired to learn and have pride in achieving a goal as a team.
Design Challenge Lessons Online
| Magnet Circus |  Download 1.6MB PDF file |
Published: July 26, 2006 |
| Explore the properties of magnets by designing a device that can move as far as possible using only magnets to move it, and then design a machine that will stay in motion for the greatest period of time. | ||
| Simplicity of Electricity | Download 434k PDF file
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Published: July 26, 2006 |
| This is a hands-on, "how-to" workshop for students to learn how to troubleshoot a circuit, design a switch and build and test a signaling device. | ||
| Exploring Buoyancy | Download 348k PDF file |
Published: July 26, 2006 |
| Design Challenge created to teach students about buoyancy, density, volume and pressure. | ||
| Physics of Roller Coasters | Download 484k PDF file |
Published: July 26, 2006 |
| Full-length lab curriculum was developed to teach Kinetic and Potential energies, Newton's Laws of Motion, velocity, friction and acceleration. | ||
| Building for the Big One | Download 2.3MB PDF file
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Published: July 26, 2006 |
| Using this activity, students will learn about the effects of earthquakes and how various soil types react during an earthquake. This lesson gives students first-hand experience in making design decisions similar to those made in the real world. | ||
| Oh Boy, Buoyancy! | Download 1404k PDF file
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Published: October 19, 2005 |
| This teacher developed Design Challenge unit weaves engaging inquiry lessons and design challenges into the physical science content of buoyancy to create a hands-on, content rich unit of study. | ||
| Human Body Exhibit | Download 151k PDF file |
Published: October 19, 2005 |
| Without CA Science Standards | ||
| Human Body Exhibit (no CA) | Download 120k PDF file |
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| In this teacher developed Design Challenge unit, students learn about the systems of the human body by creating a "museum exhibit" for their classroom. Download with or without the California State Science Standards. | ||
| Rat Round Up | Download 294k PDF file |
Published: March 10, 2005 |
| Build a device that will capture and carry a pet rat (or other moving toy) safely back to its cage. | ||
| Pooper Scooper | Download 246k PDF file
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Published: March 10, 2005 |
| Build a tool to safely pick up poop so that no one is exposed to diseases that can be carried in animal waste. | ||
| Fire Brigade | Download 259k PDF file |
Published: March 10, 2005 |
| Build a device to deliver a new fire fighting material safely to the fire. (Note: No real fire is used in this challenge.) | ||
| Rover Landing | Download 143k PDF file |
Published: March 24, 2004 |
| Students explore the concepts of forces and motion as they design protective devices that will enable their 'Egg Rovers' to safely land on a surface after being dropped from a designated height. | ||
| Farming in Ancient Mesopotamia: An Ancient Civil Engineering Problem | Download 506k PDF file
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Published: November 20, 2003 |
| In this integrated, multi-day Design Challenge unit, students will explore simple machines, transportation of materials, and river systems using stream tables. They will discover the problems ancient farmers faced and design their own working models that will attempt to solve those unique problems (includes Design Challenges Flowing From Here to There and Two Rivers Ran Through It). | ||
| Flowing From Here to There | Download 260k PDF file |
Published: November 20, 2003 |
| Students explore simple machines to transport dry, but fluid, material from one container to another (also included as a part of Farming in Ancient Mesopotamia unit). | ||
| Two Rivers Ran Through It | Download 324k PDF file
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Published: November 20, 2003 |
| In this challenge students will discover the problems that early farmers faced while developing agriculture in "the land between two rivers" and design a working model that solves those unique challenges (also included as a part of Farming in Ancient Mesopotamia unit). | ||
| Cup in the Cupboard |
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Published: November 6, 2003 |
| In this challenge students are asked to design and build a device that can be used to place a cup in a high cupboard to assist a friend who uses a wheel chair. | ||
| Circle of Pong | Download 152k PDF file
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Published: July 31, 2003 |
| Students use their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy, and explore forces and motion to place a ball into the center of a 6-foot diameter circle. | ||
| Free up the Ketchup | Download 52k PDF file |
Published: June 25, 2003 |
| Students demonstrate their knowledge of Newton's 1st Law of Motion with this introductory level Design Challenge. | ||
| Double Toss | Download 207k PDF file
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Published: June 25, 2003 |
| Students use their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy, and explore forces and motion as they work together to solve this introductory level Design Challenge. | ||
| Motion Commotion | Download 151k PDF file |
Published: April 21, 2003 |
| Inspired by the whimsical drawings of Rube Goldberg, students will leverage their knowledge of forces, work, simple machines and conservation of energy to design and build complex contraptions to complete a simple task. | ||
| Float A Boat | Download 169k PDF file
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Published: March 24, 2003 |
| Design and build a vessel with its own propulsion system that will carry cargo across a wading pool. | ||
| Listening Devices | Download 136k PDF file |
Published: March 24, 2003 |
| Design a listening device that will allow them to listen to the sound generated by a specific object inside of a box. | ||
| Seed Dispersal | Download 143k PDF file
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Published: March 24, 2003 |
| Create and test a wind dispersed seed designed by students. | ||
| Design a Bobsled | Download 248k PDF file |
Published: December 31, 2002 |
| Students explore the effects of gravity, friction and air resistance upon acceleration when they design their own bobsleds. | ||
| PUMP IT UP! | Download 208k PDF file
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Published: December 31, 2002 |
| Students learn about their circulatory system by designing a pumping device that will effectively pump fluid through a given cardiovascular system. | ||
| Spuds in Space | Download 148k PDF file |
Published: December 31, 2002 |
| Students investigate force and motion as they design spacesuits for their potato astronauts that can withstand the hazards of high velocity impacts from space debris and meteoroids. | ||
| Tree House Escape | Download 160k PDF file
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Published: November 20, 2002 |
| In this Design Challenge students explore how simple machines can make "work" easier while they design a device to retrieve their sibling from a tree house that has lost its ladder. | ||
| Pet Rescue | Download 148k PDF file |
Published: November 20, 2002 |
| In this Design Challenge activity students will explore how structure relates to function as they design devices to save Fido. | ||
| Freestanding Structures | Download 117k PDF file
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Published: November 19, 2002 |
| In this Design Challenge, families and friends work together to design the tallest structure that they can, using only the materials provided. | ||
| Energy at Play | Download 117k PDF file |
Published: October 23, 2002 |
| In this activity students will design a contraption using Tinker ToysTM, while exploring how Potential and Kinetic Energy are transformed and transferred. They will also gain a deeper understanding of the Law of Conservation of Energy. | ||