Design and Test a Solution
Grade 4 - Science - Building Confidence
Design problem: a wind barrier must stop soil from blowing away. Which criterion tells what success means?
- lowers the temperature by at least 5 degrees
- holds at least 20 washers
- keeps most sand in the tray
- keeps the doorway area dry
Which constraint limits the design for this problem: a model roof must drain rainwater away from a doorway?
- uses one square meter of fabric
- uses one plastic sheet and four straws
- uses only short and long flashes
- keeps the doorway area dry
Which solution best matches this problem and constraints: a wind barrier must stop soil from blowing away?
- coat the envelope with wax paper
- slope the sheet toward a side channel
- assign a different short-long flash pattern to each message
- place sticks close together across the windy side
Which fair test would compare solutions for this problem: a wind barrier must stop soil from blowing away?
- ask a partner to read the flash cards without hints
- spray each package five times and check the seeds
- pour the same amount of water on each roof model
- run a fan for one minute and measure sand moved
Evidence: light fabric lowered the reading by 7 degrees. Which improvement follows from the test?
- make the side channel deeper
- tilt the fabric to block afternoon Sun too
- seal the envelope edges with tape
- reduce gaps between the sticks
Design problem: a shade cover must cool a playground thermometer. Which criterion tells what success means?
- no water reaches the seeds
- keeps most sand in the tray
- keeps the doorway area dry
- lowers the temperature by at least 5 degrees
Which constraint limits the design for this problem: a warning code must send three messages with light?
- uses only short and long flashes
- uses one envelope and one coating material
- uses only two sheets of paper and tape
- uses one square meter of fabric
Which solution best matches this problem and constraints: a warning code must send three messages with light?
- assign a different short-long flash pattern to each message
- place sticks close together across the windy side
- fold the paper into beams before taping it
- stretch light-colored fabric over the thermometer area
Which fair test would compare solutions for this problem: a shade cover must cool a playground thermometer?
- add washers one at a time until the bridge bends
- pour the same amount of water on each roof model
- measure temperature in sun and under the cover at noon
- spray each package five times and check the seeds
Evidence: partners read three patterns correctly when pauses were clear. Which improvement follows from the test?
- reduce gaps between the sticks
- tilt the fabric to block afternoon Sun too
- seal the envelope edges with tape
- add longer pauses between messages