engineering design

Worksheet:
Save the Tomato! Engineering Design JournalWorksheetPublic Unlisted
Study Guide:
Engineering Design ProcessStudy GuidePublic Unlisted
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Save the Tomato! Engineering Design Process HandoutDocumentPublic Unlisted
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Welcome to Fourth Grade Science: Let's Design, Build, and Grow Together!DocumentPublic Unlisted
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Welcome to Fourth Grade Science: Let's Design, Build, and Grow Together!DocumentPublic Unlisted
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Save the Tomato! STEM Engineering Design ChallengeDocumentPublic Unlisted
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Save the Tomato! STEM Engineering Design ChallengeDocumentPublic Unlisted
Worksheet:
Save the Tomato! STEM Engineering Design JournalWorksheetPublic Unlisted
Worksheet:
Save the Tomato! Student STEM JournalWorksheetPublic Unlisted
Quiz:
1. Your team is told that the final structure must completely cover the tomato so that no falling debris can touch it. What engineering term describes this specifi
2. Your teacher gives your team exactly 💲15 in classroom tokens to buy extra tape for your structure, and you cannot spend a single penny more. What is this stric
3. Instead of building your final structure right away, your team quickly tapes two cards together to see if they will stand up on their own. What is this quick, e
Save the Tomato QuizQuizPublic Unlisted
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Helpful Web Resources: Teaching the Engineering Design Process (EDP)DocumentPublic Unlisted
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Extension Activities for Early Finishers: Save the Tomato STEM ChallengeDocumentPublic Unlisted
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Hey there, future engineers! Are you ready to build, test, and design amazing things? Real-world engineers are professional problem-solvers who use a super cool
When engineers build solutions, they must follow **criteria** (the goals of what their invention *must* do) and **constraints** (the rules or limits they must f
If you want to practice these skills, play epic games, and watch kids just like you tackle big missions, check out these awesome websites! Grab your thinking ca
Discover STEM: Awesome Websites for Young Engineers!DocumentPublic Unlisted

Document:Welcome to Fourth Grade Science: Let's Design, Build, and Grow Together!

Dear Fourth-Grade Families,

Welcome to an exciting new school year! I am absolutely thrilled to partner with you in supporting your child's education. In our classroom, we aim to inspire curiosity, foster creativity, and build the resilience your child needs to succeed both inside and outside the classroom. I am writing to share a preview of the wonderful hands-on learning experiences we have planned for our very first science unit.

Our Science Journey & PA STEELS Standards

This year, our science curriculum is fully aligned with the modern Pennsylvania STEELS standards (Science, Technology, and Engineering, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability) and powered by HMH Into Science. Rather than just reading about science in a textbook, your child will actively think, test, and solve problems like a real-world scientist and engineer.

To balance our packed academic calendar, our science units are organized into highly focused, condensed 4-to-5-week quarterly pacing blocks. This efficient schedule allows us to dedicate ample, high-quality instructional time to science during our active weeks, while seamlessly sharing classroom time with Pennsylvania history and social studies throughout the school year.

Unit 1 Spotlight: 'Save the Tomato!' STEM Challenge

To establish a strong foundation of critical thinking, we are kicking off the year with Unit 1: The Engineering Design Process. To bring this process to life, students will soon participate in our first major hands-on engineering event: the 'Save the Tomato!' STEM Challenge.

In this challenge, students will act as agricultural safety engineers. Their mission is to design and construct a physical tower that can protect a delicate "tomato" (a soft clay ball) from being squished by heavy falling storm debris (a test weight dropped by the teacher).

Thinking Like Engineers: Key Concepts

During this challenge, we will introduce several fundamental engineering concepts in supportive, kid-friendly terms. You can help reinforce these ideas at home:

Criteria (Our Design Goals): These are the success requirements. For our project, the criteria are that the protective tower must stand completely on its own and keep the tomato 100% safe and unbruised.
Constraints (Our Strict Rules): Real engineers must work within limitations. Our student teams must design within a strict classroom material budget of exactly 10 index cards and 30 cm of tape, with a building time limit of 10 minutes. Note: We utilize the $ symbol in our classroom engineering logs to represent our resource and material budgets (e.g., our material limit is 10 index cards and 30 cm of tape, representing a $40 project budget!).
Prototypes (Our Rough Draft Models): Before building a final product, engineers create a prototype—a quick, physical trial model—to see how their ideas behave in the real world.

Fostering a Growth Mindset: Failure is Just Data!

One of the most valuable lessons of the Engineering Design Process is how we handle mistakes. When we drop the test weight, some of our student prototypes will bend, crack, or completely collapse. In our classroom, we do not view structural failures as bad grades or losses.

Instead, we teach students to treat collapses and design flaws as highly valuable empirical data. A bent index card is simply a physical clue that tells us exactly where the forces were too strong. Students will analyze these weak spots, treat them as learning opportunities, and immediately use that data to iterate, redesign, and build a stronger "Version 2.0" structure. This approach transforms the fear of making a mistake into the thrill of solving a puzzle.

Bring the Science Home

We would love for you to join in our engineering excitement at home! You do not need any special materials to support your young engineer. Simply asking curiosity-driven questions can make a world of difference. Here are a few engaging questions you can ask your child at the dinner table or on the drive home:

"What was the goal (criteria) of your design challenge today, and what rules (constraints) did you have to follow?"
"Did your prototype face any unexpected design flaws when you tested it?"
"What did you learn from your project's failure, and how did you change your design for Version 2.0 to make it stronger?"

Thank you so much for your support, enthusiasm, and partnership as we launch this incredible year of active discovery. Together, we are going to help your child build the skills to design a bright future!

Warmly,

Your Fourth-Grade Teacher