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Design Challenge is The Tech's signature pedagogy where students engage in the design process to solve a relevant, authentic, real-world problem. Students apply and reinforce their Science content knowledge, as well as Social Studies and Language Arts through an open-ended design process that results in an original solution. Students take responsibility for assessing their own progress and incorporate peer feedback.

• What is Design Challenge Learning?
• Process
• Design Challenge Lessons Online
• Design Challenge Programs

What is Design Challenge Learning?

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 Identify problem, materials & constraints Brainstorm ideas and possible solutions Construct & Test Select a solution Design and Construct Prototype Redesign or modify Retest Acquire Knowledge Research Share solutions Reflect and discuss

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

In the months to come we will be introducing an average of two Design Challenge lessons a month for all interested educators to implement in their classrooms and other learning environments.

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	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	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	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	Download 253k PDF file Download Unit 284k PDF file	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	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	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	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	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	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.
Suspended! Underwater Explorations	Download 160k PDF file	Published: December 13, 2002
Design Challenge created to teach students about buoyancy, density, volume and pressure.
Physics of Roller Coasters	Download 156k PDF file	Published: December 13, 2002
Full-length lab curriculum was developed to teach Kinetic and Potential energies, Newton's Laws of Motion, velocity, friction and acceleration.
Tree House Escape	Download 160k PDF file	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	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.
Building for the Big One	Download 1.6MB PDF file	Published: November 8, 2002
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.
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.