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Which One Works Best?

  • Kindergarten
  • Science
  • K-2-ETS1-3
  • Engineering Design
  • Free lesson

Aligned to K-2-ETS1-3 — Next Generation Science Standards.

What this lesson teaches

We can test two things that do the same job to see which one works better.

Worked examples

Example 1

We pour water into a paper cup and a plastic cup to see which one holds it without leaking.

Example 2

We drop a feather and a rock to see which lands first, then try again to be sure.

Example 3

We test one thing at a time. If we change the cup and the water at once, we will not know which change mattered.

Practice questions

  1. Test two toy cars down a ramp and see which one rolls farther.
  2. Try two kinds of paper as a paper airplane and watch which flies better.
  3. Tell a grown-up which one you think won and why.

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 lesson

En español

¿Cuál funciona mejor?

Podemos probar dos cosas que hacen el mismo trabajo para ver cuál funciona mejor.

Ejemplo 1: Echamos agua en un vaso de papel y en uno de plástico para ver cuál la aguanta sin gotear.

Ejemplo 2: Dejamos caer una pluma y una piedra para ver cuál llega primero, y lo intentamos otra vez para estar seguros.

Ejemplo 3: Probamos una cosa a la vez. Si cambiamos el vaso y el agua al mismo tiempo, no sabremos cuál cambio importó.

More Engineering Design lessons

Shape Helps It WorkK-2-ETS1-2

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