Design, Test, Improve

Overview

Students begin an introductory technology and computer science unit by collaboratively designing aluminum foil boats that support as many pennies as possible. Across two build-and-test rounds, they practice defining a goal, planning, testing, evaluating evidence, communicating, and iteratively improving a solution. The lesson establishes teamwork routines and prepares students for more formal problem-solving processes in later lessons.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Communicate and collaborate effectively while solving an open-ended design problem.
• Identify strategies that help a team develop and improve a solution.
• Follow a multistep design-and-testing procedure, including safety and measurement expectations.
• Use test results to make a reasoned improvement to a design.
• Record and communicate observations using appropriate technical language.

Success criteria

• I can contribute an idea, listen to others, and help my group make a decision.
• I can follow the boat-building and testing steps in the correct order.
• I can explain what worked, what did not work, and why.
• I can use evidence from our first test to improve our second design.
• I can describe one strategy that helped our team solve the problem.

Curriculum links

• New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency: computational problem solving, collaboration, design, testing, and iterative improvement.
• New York State Technology Education: engineering design, optimization, communication, and evaluation of technological solutions.
• Mathematical Practice: noticing repeated results, looking for general methods or shortcuts, and evaluating whether results are reasonable.
• Reading and writing in technical subjects: following a complex multistep procedure, recording observations, and writing a concise evidence-based reflection.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up and question of the day. Teacher displays the opening challenge slide and asks, “What can help us work together and solve problems as a team?” Students silently predict what makes a successful team, then share one idea with a partner and volunteer responses. Emphasize that there may be several successful designs.

2. 5–10 min · Set the stage and explain the challenge. Teacher uses the goal and rules slides to introduce the scenario: each team must build a foil boat that floats and holds as many pennies as possible. Organize 20 students into five groups of four, assign roles such as facilitator, materials manager, builder, and recorder, and distribute the boat design and reflection guide. Students read the challenge, identify the success condition, and review the rules: use only the two foil sheets, place the boat fully in the water before adding pennies, add pennies one at a time, and stop when the boat sinks or takes on water.

3. 10–17 min · Develop a plan. Teacher models how designers first understand constraints, sketch a possible solution, and make a prediction rather than immediately building. Ask, “How might shape, width, height, folds, and weight distribution affect floating?” Circulate without solving the problem for groups. Students discuss options, sketch their first boat on the worksheet, assign responsibilities, and predict how many pennies it will hold.

4. 17–25 min · Build and test round one. Teacher gives each group two 5-by-5-inch foil sheets, a water container, 15 pennies, and paper towels. Display the build-and-test procedure while students construct one boat, place it carefully in the water, and add pennies one at a time. The recorder notes the number of pennies held, the point of failure, and any observations about balance, leaks, or shape. Teacher checks that groups follow the procedure and keeps water contained.

5. 25–33 min · Evaluate and improve. Teacher pauses groups for a quick comparison using the evaluation prompts: “What happened? What evidence do you have? What design feature should you keep, change, or remove?” Students analyze their first result, compare it with their prediction, identify one likely cause of failure or success, and sketch a revised design. Each student must contribute either an observation, a question, or a proposed change before the group begins rebuilding.

6. 33–40 min · Build and test round two. Teacher signals the second test and reminds students to change at least one design feature while keeping the test conditions as consistent as possible. Students build their improved boat, test it using the same penny procedure, record the result, and compare round two with round one. Groups calculate or state the change in performance and prepare one sentence explaining which modification mattered most.

7. 40–45 min · Wrap-up and reflection. Teacher uses the discussion and exit prompt slides to lead a brief debrief. Invite groups to share results without ranking the “best” team, focusing on process and evidence. Students complete the final reflection on the boat design and reflection guide: one teamwork strategy, one design strategy, what changed between rounds, and how the evidence supported their conclusion. Collect worksheets as the exit assessment.

Resources

• the complete challenge and reflection slide deck
• the boat design and reflection guide
• Two 5-by-5-inch sheets of aluminum foil per group
• One shallow container with 3–5 inches of water per group
• Fifteen pennies per group, plus teacher backup pennies
• Paper towels or rags
• Timer
• Student role cards or a board list of group roles
• Optional camera or document camera for modeling

Assessment

• During planning, listen for students identifying constraints, making predictions, and explaining how a design feature might affect performance.
• During testing, check whether students follow the multistep procedure, record observations accurately, and use evidence rather than guessing to explain results.
• Review the final worksheet reflection for evidence of collaboration, iterative improvement, and a clear comparison between the two rounds.

Differentiation

• Provide a visible procedure checklist, role descriptions, a sample boat sketch, and sentence starters such as “Our evidence shows…,” “We changed ___ because…,” and “Next time, we would…”
• For students who need additional support, allow verbal rehearsal before writing, pair them with a supportive peer, and use clearly assigned roles to make participation manageable. Monitor fine-motor needs and offer assistance with folding or alternative roles such as recorder or test observer.
• For multilingual learners, preteach and display terms such as constraint, design, test, evidence, balance, improve, and failure. Accept labeled sketches and oral explanations before requiring complete written responses.
• For students ready for extension, ask them to identify variables that should remain constant, explain why a fair test matters, or compare their design’s performance with the group’s original prediction.