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Design a solution
Students find a small, real problem in their own classroom, pin down exactly what a good solution must do, then design and 3D print a prototype — and test whether it actually works.
Standards
- NGSS MS-ETS1-1 — Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
- ISTE 1.4 Innovative Designer — Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful, or imaginative solutions.
The build-and-test sessions also preview MS-ETS1-4 (developing a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a design).
Objective
Students will be able to write precise criteria and constraints for a design problem and evaluate a prototype against them.
Materials & setup
- Tinkercad accounts set up through your class code (free) — see 3D printing: a teacher's start.
- A 3D printer with PLA filament — see Filament & materials and Slicer settings.
- Rulers or calipers, sticky notes, and a shared slide deck (one slide per team).
- Review Safety, storage & maintenance; the teacher runs the printer and removes prints.
Lesson sequence
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Day 1
Find and define the problem
Teams hunt for small classroom annoyances (cables sliding off desks, markers rolling away, a door that slams). They choose one and write it as a problem statement, then list criteria (what success looks like) and constraints (limits: size, time, material, safety).
Tech: A shared slide deck, one slide per team, for the problem statement, criteria, and constraints.
Why it helps: You can see every team's thinking live and push for precision ("'Strong' is not measurable — how strong?").
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Day 2
Measure and sketch
Teams measure the real objects involved and sketch two or three possible designs, choosing one to model with a short justification tied to their criteria.
Tech: Photos of the problem area and sketches added to the team slide.
Why it helps: Real measurements turn "make a holder" into an engineering problem with numbers.
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Day 3
Model in Tinkercad
Teams build their design to measured dimensions, then check it against every constraint before it can be printed.
Tech: Tinkercad for modeling; the slicer's time estimate as a constraint check.
Why it helps: Students can test fit and size digitally before using any material — and redesign in minutes.
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Day 4
Print and test
The teacher prints each design. Teams test their prototype against each criterion and record results (meets / partly / doesn't meet) with evidence.
Tech: 3D printer.
Why it helps: A physical prototype gives students real test data — the heart of engineering, impossible with paper alone.
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Day 5
Improve and present
Teams propose one specific change based on their test data, then present: the problem, criteria, constraints, results, and next iteration.
Tech: The team slide becomes the presentation.
Why it helps: The whole design process is documented in one place — easy to assess and share.
Differentiation
Support
Offer a starter list of classroom problems and a criteria/constraints template with examples. Pair new Tinkercad users with confident ones.
English learners
Provide a visual word wall: criteria, constraint, prototype, iterate. Accept labeled sketches as evidence alongside writing.
Stretch
Require two measurable criteria with numbers, or a second iteration printed and compared against the first.
Assessment
- Criteria and constraints (MS-ETS1-1): specific, measurable, and connected to the real problem and its users.
- Testing: results recorded against each criterion with evidence.
- Iteration: the proposed improvement follows from the test data.
Sources & further reading
- MS-ETS1-1 Engineering Design — Next Generation Science Standards.
- ISTE Standards for Students — International Society for Technology in Education.