MS-ETS1 Engineering design - define, optimize and test
Aligned to MS-ETS1 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Engineers define a problem with clear, measurable goals (criteria) and limits (constraints), then compare several possible solutions in a systematic way. They use models and tests to gather data and optimize the design, improving it based on evidence rather than guessing.
Worked example
To design a marble run that keeps a marble rolling the longest, an engineer builds three versions, times each one, and records the results in a table. The data shows that gentler slopes with more curves keep the marble moving longer, so the final design uses those features.
Practice questions
- What is the difference between a criterion and a constraint?
- Why do engineers record test results in a table?
- Explain how comparing multiple designs leads to a better final product.
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
MS-ETS1 Diseño de ingeniería: definir, optimizar y probar
Los ingenieros definen un problema con metas claras y medibles (criterios) y limitaciones (restricciones), luego comparan varias soluciones posibles de manera sistemática. Usan modelos y pruebas para recopilar datos y optimizar el diseño, mejorándolo con base en evidencias en lugar de suposiciones.
Ejemplo: Para diseñar una pista de canicas que mantenga una canica rodando el mayor tiempo posible, un ingeniero construye tres versiones, mide el tiempo de cada una y registra los resultados en una tabla. Los datos muestran que las pendientes más suaves con más curvas mantienen la canica en movimiento por más tiempo, por lo que el diseño final utiliza esas características.
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