Name ______
Period ____
The Engineering Design Process
Your teacher is going to show you a video on how the Engineering Design Process is a lot like throwing a Taco Party. While the video is playing, refer to the diagram below. Pay attention to the different steps in the design process and what happens in each step. You can also take some notes on the video.
(Video link:
YouTube search term: The Engineering Design Process: A Taco Party from KQED QUEST)
Notes on the Taco Party video:
Now your teacher is going to show you a video about engineering a design to help clean the drinking water in Bangladesh. The first time the video is played, just pay close attention to the story. Video link: YouTube Search term: Cleaning Drinking Water in Bangladesh Engineering for Good KQED QUEST
You will now watch the Bangladesh video a second time, but this time you will be required to take specific notes!
Your teacher is going to divide you into groups of 4. Each student in the group will be responsible for taking notes on TWO of the engineering design process steps. Coordinate with your group decide which TWO steps each member will record. Record your evidence of the scientists and engineers in the video working through each of the steps below.
When the video is over, meet with the rest of the students in your group and share results. Use the notes from the other students to have answers for every step of the Design Process.
Define the problem
Identify constraints and criteria for success
Brainstorm multiple solutions
Select the most promising solution
Prototype the solution
Test and evaluate the prototype
Iterate to improve the prototype
Communicate the solution
KQED Learning: Engineering for Good
Engineering Design Process In Action - Answer Guide
Choose TWO of the engineering design process steps below and circle them. Record evidence you find of the scientists and engineers in the “Engineering Is Cleaning Drinking Water in Bangladesh” video working through each of those steps.
★Define the problem
Dhaka has 30,000 people per square km without sewage treatment. There is a lot of poop with germs and people, especially children, get sick and die from disease. The problem is how to provide clean drinking water to Dhaka.
★Identify constraints and criteria
The solution for disinfecting water needed to be low-cost and easy, and effective at killing bacteria, viruses and pathogens. They knew they wanted to use chlorine. The solution needed to be compatible with the hand pumps people use in Dhaka to get water.
★Brainstorm multiple solutions
They prototyped and tested many types of devices over a couple of years.
★Select the most promising solution
They developed and selected their “Venturi system,” which allowed them to control the amount of chlorine being added to the water.
★Prototype the solution
They created a prototype to test in Dhaka.
★Test and evaluate the prototype
They tested the Venturi system in Dhaka. They tested bacteria and chlorine levels in the water.
★Iterate to improve the prototype
They used a 3-D printer while in Dhaka to iterate on their design.
★Communicate the solution
The “Cleaning Drinking Water in Bangladesh” video is helping to get the word out!