Engineering Fundamentals · Lesson 5 of 6
Name: ________________ Date: __________
Water Filter, Flood Barrier, or Product Redesign
The problem
Design a solution that helps people or protects the environment. First decide who you are helping and what problem you are solving for them, then build a model that does the job with the materials you have.
Materials checklist
- Cups
- Coffee filters
- Cotton balls
- Gravel
- Sand
- Cardboard
- Tape
- Straws
- Paper
- Index cards
- A water testing container
Design sketch
Draw your plan and label the parts.
Prediction
What do you think will happen when you test it? What might fail first?
Build notes
Write what you actually built and any changes you made along the way.
Test results
| Test | What to record | Try 1 | Try 2 | Try 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water filter - clarity | Clearer, a little clearer, or no change | |||
| Flood barrier - keep the house dry | Dry, a little wet, or soaked | |||
| Product redesign - user test | Did it solve their problem? What still needs work? |
What failed first?
What did you change?
Reflection
1. Who were you designing for?
2. What problem did your design solve?
3. What material worked best?
4. What tradeoff did you make?
5. What would you improve for a real user?
Extension challenge
Improve your filter so it also works faster, not just cleaner.