STRUCTURAL Challenge Lesson Plan Information
Unit Title: Structural Challenge Subject: Engineering
Grade Level: 8
# of Weeks:1
Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
Established Goal(s)
Generalization from Connecticut frameworks about what students should know and be able to do.
Connecticut Career & Technical Education Performance Standards & Competencies (2011)
B5. Identify principles of a problem.
B 6. Describe the process for researching known, relevant information, constraints and limitations.
B 7. Analyze and research between alternate solutions.
B 8. Develop details of a solution.
B 9. Build a prototype from plans.
B 10. Test a prototype.
B 11. Describe the steps of the design process (e.g., create, evaluate, synthesis, final solution, findings, and present.)
E20. Contribute to a team project.
E21. Identify characteristics of an effective design team (e.g., leadership, responsibility, respect, rapport and time management).
International Technology Education Association: Standards for Technological Literacy
1. Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
2. Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
5. Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment.
8. Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
9. Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
10. Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
11. Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
20. Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use construction technologies.
Enduring Understandings
Insights earned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…) Essential Questions
Inquiry used to explore generalizations
1. Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
2. There is no perfect design.
3. Requirements for a design are made up of criteria and constraints.
4. Problem solving and design involve a set of steps, which can be performed in different sequences and repeated as needed.
1. What are the elements of design, and why are they important?
2. How do you know the solution you have chosen for a technical problem is the right solution?
3. What is the importance of brainstorming? How does it help in finding solutions to a technical problem?
4. What do modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying a design have to do with working out a solution to a technical problem?
5. What shape is the strongest and why?
6. How does the center of gravity affect the stability of a structure?
Knowledge and Skills
What students are expected to know and be able to do
1. List the steps of the engineering problem solving process.
2. Define engineering and technology.
3. Make a distinction between invention and innovation.
4. List possible constraints and limitations associated with solving technological problems.
5. List three reasons why engineers choose one design solution over another.
6. Explain that design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
7. Explain that design is a real-world process that depends significantly on the cooperative/collaborative processes for success.
8. Explain that during the “Engineering Design Process” technologists must consider the principles of quality, ergonomics, safety, aesthetics, and functionality.
9. The use of technology can have unintended social, cultural, economical, political and environmental consequences.
Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
Performance Task(s)
Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting, Performance, Standards) Other Evidence
Application that is functional in a classroom context
Only to evaluate student achievement of desired results
Goal: To apply the engineering design process to solving a technology related problem.
Role: Structural Engineer
Audience: Classroom Teacher
Setting: Technology classroom and lab
Performance: Students will design, construct and test a structure to withstand as much weight (Load) as possible. The structure must be free-standing and be made from 1 file folder, 1 piece of 8 x ½ 11 copy paper , and one ft. of masking tape.
Standards: Student work will be assessed on the rubric for the structural challenge.
Design sketches
Do nows
Quizzes
Observation of student lab work
Stage 3: Develop Learning Plan
1. Pre-Test
2. Introduce the engineering design process.
3. Discuss various societal problems which engineers would look to solve.
4. Discuss what an invention is versus an innovation.
5. Discuss the difference between constraints and limitations.
6. Introduce “The Problem” to students.(Design Brief)
7. Break students up into design teams.
8. Students should define the problem.
9. Have the students gather information about the problem through textbooks, internet and classroom discussions.
10. Have the students engage in idea generating strategies to develop several solutions to the problem.
11. Have the students complete a rough sketch of their solution.
12. Have the students complete 2-D & 3-D drawings of their design solution.
13. Have the students utilize the lab to construct a model of their design solution.
14. Have the students test their design solution.
15. Post-Test
Click to download structural lesson plan information
Grade Level: 8
# of Weeks:1
Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
Established Goal(s)
Generalization from Connecticut frameworks about what students should know and be able to do.
Connecticut Career & Technical Education Performance Standards & Competencies (2011)
B5. Identify principles of a problem.
B 6. Describe the process for researching known, relevant information, constraints and limitations.
B 7. Analyze and research between alternate solutions.
B 8. Develop details of a solution.
B 9. Build a prototype from plans.
B 10. Test a prototype.
B 11. Describe the steps of the design process (e.g., create, evaluate, synthesis, final solution, findings, and present.)
E20. Contribute to a team project.
E21. Identify characteristics of an effective design team (e.g., leadership, responsibility, respect, rapport and time management).
International Technology Education Association: Standards for Technological Literacy
1. Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.
2. Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
5. Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment.
8. Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.
9. Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.
10. Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
11. Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.
20. Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use construction technologies.
Enduring Understandings
Insights earned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…) Essential Questions
Inquiry used to explore generalizations
1. Design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
2. There is no perfect design.
3. Requirements for a design are made up of criteria and constraints.
4. Problem solving and design involve a set of steps, which can be performed in different sequences and repeated as needed.
1. What are the elements of design, and why are they important?
2. How do you know the solution you have chosen for a technical problem is the right solution?
3. What is the importance of brainstorming? How does it help in finding solutions to a technical problem?
4. What do modeling, testing, evaluating, and modifying a design have to do with working out a solution to a technical problem?
5. What shape is the strongest and why?
6. How does the center of gravity affect the stability of a structure?
Knowledge and Skills
What students are expected to know and be able to do
1. List the steps of the engineering problem solving process.
2. Define engineering and technology.
3. Make a distinction between invention and innovation.
4. List possible constraints and limitations associated with solving technological problems.
5. List three reasons why engineers choose one design solution over another.
6. Explain that design is a creative planning process that leads to useful products and systems.
7. Explain that design is a real-world process that depends significantly on the cooperative/collaborative processes for success.
8. Explain that during the “Engineering Design Process” technologists must consider the principles of quality, ergonomics, safety, aesthetics, and functionality.
9. The use of technology can have unintended social, cultural, economical, political and environmental consequences.
Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
Performance Task(s)
Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting, Performance, Standards) Other Evidence
Application that is functional in a classroom context
Only to evaluate student achievement of desired results
Goal: To apply the engineering design process to solving a technology related problem.
Role: Structural Engineer
Audience: Classroom Teacher
Setting: Technology classroom and lab
Performance: Students will design, construct and test a structure to withstand as much weight (Load) as possible. The structure must be free-standing and be made from 1 file folder, 1 piece of 8 x ½ 11 copy paper , and one ft. of masking tape.
Standards: Student work will be assessed on the rubric for the structural challenge.
Design sketches
Do nows
Quizzes
Observation of student lab work
Stage 3: Develop Learning Plan
1. Pre-Test
2. Introduce the engineering design process.
3. Discuss various societal problems which engineers would look to solve.
4. Discuss what an invention is versus an innovation.
5. Discuss the difference between constraints and limitations.
6. Introduce “The Problem” to students.(Design Brief)
7. Break students up into design teams.
8. Students should define the problem.
9. Have the students gather information about the problem through textbooks, internet and classroom discussions.
10. Have the students engage in idea generating strategies to develop several solutions to the problem.
11. Have the students complete a rough sketch of their solution.
12. Have the students complete 2-D & 3-D drawings of their design solution.
13. Have the students utilize the lab to construct a model of their design solution.
14. Have the students test their design solution.
15. Post-Test
Click to download structural lesson plan information
