Part of Lesson Plan: The 10-Step Engineering Design Solution Process

Activity Overview / Details

As a means of helping students connect this process to real, practical application to a dynamic, well-know project...frame up for students the design problem NASA had with their Mars Spirit Rover using the following interactive Anatomy of a Rover feature from the PBS Learning Media Collection that is related to the Spirit resource in an earlier activity...and then compare to NASA's new rover design below.

http://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/content/eng06.sci.engin.design.rover/

Next, have students take a look at NASA's new rover design as it is explained in the following video clip, and have them work to record some of the changes identified with this new and improved Mars Rover along with the rationale for the changes.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=1028

Lead students through a closure discussion on modifications they recorded and how they fit into the 10 step design/solution process. (This can be done before or after the assesment, I prefer after)