Class Engineering 1

Lesson Engineering Design Activity Day 1

Essential Question:
- How can the steps of the Engineering Design Process help us solve real-world
problems?

Objectives:
- Students will be able to explain the 5 steps of the engineering design process.

Content/Instruction: PowerPoint (~5 min)

- Bell Ringer: What are some problems you have ran into? How did you fix it?
- Go over a brief description of the Engineering Design Process.
~ Define the Problem
~ Analyze a Need
~ Develop Ideas
~ Create a Prototype
~ Test and Evaluate
- Go over the Scenario and rules of the activity.
~ Students will be given a worksheet that will follow along with the EDP and will
help them when they present their car to the class.

Activity:
- Mousetrap Race Car
o Day 1 we will see how the difference in lever arm length affects the speed of
the car. Have students vote for which one will reach 15 ft first. TPS: Why did
the car with the _________ lever arm go faster?
o At the end: Have them write an exit ticket with which would go faster small or
big wheels? (Create groups according to their answer. They will have to use
that size of wheels but can change after testing.)

Summary:
Ask questions:
- Which car went faster one with a long or short lever arm? Why?
- Exit ticket: Which would go faster small or big wheels? (Create groups according to
their answer. They will have to use that size of wheels but can change after testing.)

Supplies:
Class Engineering 1
Lesson Engineering Design Activity Day 2
Essential Question:
- What factors can affect the speed of your mousetrap racecar?
 Objectives:
- Students will be able to use the Engineering Design Process to make a mousetrap race
car.

Content/Instruction: PowerPoint (~5 min)

- PowerPoint
1. Go through the directions of the mousetrap race car build.
2. Allow them time to build their race car. Ask questions from the worksheet as they
build.
3. When building phase is up allow time to tidy their areas and then go into timing the
cars.
4. Do a gallery walk/presentation of the vehicles from each group going through what
they answered on their worksheets.

Activity:
- Mousetrap racecar races!!!

Summary:
- Talk about what went well and the process each group went through to develop their

Supplies:
- Car Body
- Wheel Materials
- String
- Skewers for Axel
- Zip Ties
- Pencil for Lever Arm Extension

Prep:
- Set up 15ft distance with masking tape to the side for students to test and time.