Combining the Best of Each Design
Aligned to MS-ETS1-3 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
No first design is perfect. By testing several prototypes and analyzing the data, engineers can spot which feature of each one works best and combine those strengths into an improved solution that beats any single original.
Worked example
Three paper-airplane designs are tested: the wide-wing plane flies straight but not far, the dart flies far but crashes, and the third floats gently but drifts. The data suggests combining the dart's pointed nose with the wide plane's steady wings — a new plane that flies both far and straight.
Practice questions
- Build two versions of a paper airplane and record how far each flies over three throws.
- Identify the best feature of each version from your data and describe a design that combines them.
- Explain why testing more than one design gives better ideas than perfecting just one.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Combinar lo mejor de cada diseño
Ningún primer diseño es perfecto. Al probar varios prototipos y analizar los datos, los ingenieros pueden detectar qué característica de cada uno funciona mejor y combinar esas fortalezas en una solución mejorada que supera a cualquier original por sí solo.
Ejemplo: Se prueban tres diseños de avión de papel: el de alas anchas vuela recto pero no lejos, el tipo dardo vuela lejos pero se estrella, y el tercero planea suave pero se desvía. Los datos sugieren combinar la punta afilada del dardo con las alas estables del de alas anchas: un avión nuevo que vuela lejos y recto.
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