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Compare Engineering Solutions
Grade 4 - Science - Building Confidence
Worksheet 1
1Problem: a paper bridge must hold 20 washers. Which solution best fits the criteria and constraints?
2Which criterion should be used to compare solutions for this problem: a wind barrier must stop soil from blowing away?
3Which constraint must the design team consider for "a model roof must drain rainwater away from a doorway"?
4Evidence: close sticks lost less sand than wide gaps. Which solution comparison is best supported?
5Why compare more than one solution for "a model roof must drain rainwater away from a doorway"?
6Problem: a wind barrier must stop soil from blowing away. Which solution best fits the criteria and constraints?
7Which criterion should be used to compare solutions for this problem: a model roof must drain rainwater away from a doorway?
8Which constraint must the design team consider for "a shade cover must cool a playground thermometer"?
9Evidence: the side-channel roof kept the doorway dry twice. Which solution comparison is best supported?
10Why compare more than one solution for "a wind barrier must stop soil from blowing away"?
About this worksheet
Comparing engineering solutions asks students to decide which design best solves a problem under given limits asks fourth graders to connect observations with an explanation, model, or design decision instead of choosing a fact from memory. Students may pick the solution that sounds creative without checking criteria, constraints, and test evidence. This worksheet uses short investigations and evidence-based situations so students must read what happened, decide which science idea is being tested, and choose the answer that fits the title. Students compare solution evidence, match designs to criteria, identify tradeoffs, and choose improvements that fit the problem. Support versions use familiar objects and direct wording. Standard and challenge versions add closer distractors, fair-test language, and multi-step evidence. Ask your child to point to the measurement, diagram, map, or observation before answering. If the choice does not explain the evidence in the prompt, it is probably a distractor. That habit keeps science reasoning tied to data rather than guesswork.
What your child will learn
Compare solutions
Use criteria
Use constraints
Read design evidence
Explain tradeoffs
Worked example
If a bridge must hold 20 washers using only paper and tape, the design that holds 24 washers meets the criterion better than one that holds 9.
Common mistake
Choosing the most interesting design even when the data show it does not meet the criterion.
Helpful hint
Compare each solution with the same criteria and constraints.
Worksheet 1