It’s About Timetechnology and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators....

Written by the Engineering is Elementary® TeamIllustrated by Ross Sullivan-Wiley and theEngineering is Elementary® Team

It’s About Time: Engineering Timers

Engineering Everywhere

Mechanical Engineering for Out-of-School Time • Grades 6–8

iiiii © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

© 2013, 2014 by the Museum of Science. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

This work may not be reproduced by mechanical or electronic means without the express written permission of the Museum of Science, Boston. For permission to copy portions of this material for other purposes, please write to:

Engineering is Elementary Museum of Science1 Science Park Boston, MA 02114Written by the Engineering is Elementary Team

Project Director:Christine Cunningham

Research and Evaluation:Christine GentryJonathan HertelCathy LachapelleChristopher San Antonio-TunisSang Shin Muhammad ShamsStephen SullivanRichard Sutton

Multimedia:Jean TownsEllen DaoustKristina Blanchflower

Curriculum Development:Owen BerlinerIan BurnetteMartha DavisMichelle DiIesoMelissa HigginsNatacha MeyerTania Taueriea toner

Professional Development:Chantal Balesdent Erin FitzgeraldMartha HassElissa JordanShannon McManusElise MorganCorey NiemannKristin SargianisMax Siegel

Operations:Valerie CostaEmily EpplerLaura HigginsKate Sokol

Interns and Consultants:Amy HachigianNia GipsonEva GrantAnya Jacobs

Outreach:Cynthia Berger

Support for this project has been generously provided by i2 Camp.

viii © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Here is an overview of the activities in this unit and how they all fit togethe . Unit Map

Activity 1: What is Engineering?Youths are introduced to engineering as they work in teams

to engineer a tower to support a model clock.

Activity 3: We All Fall DownYouths engineer a timer by exploring the natural rhythms of

falling dominoes.

Activity 2: What Time Is It?Youths explore their own perceptions of time.

Activity 4: Hands on HourglassesYouths explore different types of hourglasses and engineer

their own one minute hourglass.

Activity 5: Creating Water TimersYouths engineer a water timer that measures out an amount

of time that is personally relevant to them.

Activity 6: Improving Water TimersYouths improve their water timers. They are also challenged

to add a display or signal to their timers.

iv © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Table of Contents

Activity 1: What is Engineering? 1Activity 2: What Time Is It? 7Activity 3: We All Fall Down 11Activity 4: Hands on Hourglasses 15Activity 5: Creating Water Timers 19Activity 6: Improving Water Timers 24

Introduction

Activities

About Engineering is Elementary vAbout Engineering Everywhere viUnit Goals viThe Engineering Design Process viiEducator Guide Components viiiWhat You Need to Know Before Teaching an EE Unit ixEngineering Notebooks x

xTips and Tricks for Teaching the Unitxixii

Background

xiiiVocabulary

xvxvi

National Education StandardsHow to Recognize Success Rubric TemplateHow to Recognize Success Rubric

viiv © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

About Engineering is Elementary

Engineering is Elementary® (EiE) fosters engineering and technological literacy among children. Most humans spend over 95% of their time interacting with technology. Pencils, chairs, water filters, toothbrushes, cell phones, and buildings are all technologiessolutions designed by engineers to fulfill human needs or wants. To understand the world we live in, it is vital that we foster engineering and technological literacy among all people, even young children! Fortunately, children are born engineers. They are fascinated with building, taking things apart, and how things work. Engineering is Elementary harnesses children’s natural curiosity to promote the learning of engineering and technology concepts.

The EiE program has four primary goals: Goal 1: Increase children’s technological literacy.Goal 2: Increase educators’ abilities to teach engineering and technology. Goal 3: Increase the number of schools and out-of-school time (OST) programs in the U.S. that include engineering.Goal 4: Conduct research and assessment to further the first three goals and contributeknowledge about engineering teaching and learning.

The first product developed by the EiE program was the Engineering is Elementarycurriculum series. Designed for use in elementary school classrooms, this curriculum is hands-on, research-based, standards-driven, and classroom-tested. For more information about EiE, visit: www.eie.org.

In 2011, EiE began development of Engineering Adventures (EA), a curriculum created for 3rd-5th grade children in OST environments. EA is designed to provide engaging and thought-provoking challenges appropriate for the OST setting. More information about EA can be found online at: www.engineeringadventures.org.

In 2012 the Engineering Everywhere (EE) curriculum was created. EE is designed to empower middle school-aged children in OST settings to become engineers and solve problems that are personally meaningful and globally relevant. For more information, visit: www.engineeringeverywhere.org.

Engineering is Elementary is a part of The National Center for Technological Literacy (NCTL) at the Museum of Science, Boston. The NCTL aims to enhance knowledge of technology and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators. Unique in recognizing that a 21st century curriculum must include today’s human-made world, the NCTL’s goal is to introduce engineering as early as elementary school and continue through high school, college, and beyond. For more information, visit: www.nctl.org.

vi © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

About Engineering Everywhere

The mission of Engineering Everywhere is to create engaging out-of-school time learning experiences for 6th-8th graders that positively impact youths’ attitudes about their abilities to engineer. Our goal is to provide youth with personally meaningful and globally relevant challenges that empower them to problem solve, think creatively, and learn from one another.

The main ideas that guide the developers of EE are listed below.

We believe youths will best learn engineering when they:• engage in activities that are fun, exciting, and connect to the world in which they live.• choose their path through open-ended challenges that have multiple solutions.• have the opportunity to succeed in engineering challenges.• communicate and collaborate in innovative, active problem solving.

Through EE units, youths will learn that:• they can use the Engineering Design Process to help solve problems.• engineers design technologies to help people and solve problems.• they have talent and potential for designing and improving technologies.• they, too, are engineers.

As youths work through their engineering design challenges, they will have the opportunity to build their problem solving, teamwork, communication, and creative thinking skills. Most importantly, this curriculum is designed to provide a fun learning opportunity!

Unit Goals

Youths will be introduced to engineering and the Engineering Design Process as they work together to engineer a solution to a timekeeping engineering challenge. Youths will begin by exploring their individual perceptions of time and discover the need for engineered timekeeping devices in order to measure time accurately. They will then complete a series of timekeeping engineering challenges and consider the qualities of a good timer. They will use dominoes to explore how nature and gravity can be used as timekeeping tools. Youths will then engineer an hourglass. Finally, youths will use what they have learned about timers and the Engineering Design Process to create and improve a water timer to time an event that is personally relevant to them. They will also be challenged to add a display or signal to their water timers.

ixvii © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

The Engineering Design Process

The Engineering Design Process (EDP) is the backbone of each Engineering Everywhere (EE) unit. It is an eight step process that guides youths in solving engineering challenges. Our goal for each EE unit is for youths to understand that the EDP can help them solve problems not only in engineering, but also in other areas of their lives.

While there are many versions of the EDP used in academic and professional fieldsof engineering, we developed an eight step process that builds on our five step processused in the elementary curriculum. There are guiding questions throughout the activities for the educator to ask to promote discussion about the EDP. There are also sections in the Engineering Notebook to encourage youths to engage in the process.

The Engineering Design Process begins with identifying a problem that needs to be solved and investigating what has already been done. Next, engineers imagine different solutions and plan their designs. Then, they create and test their design and make improvements based on the test results. Finally, engineers communicate their findings to others. While theprocess is shown as linear, youths may jump around to steps as they are engineering. For example, they may need to imagine and plan new designs in order to improve.

To further highlight the EDP throughout the unit, the steps are italicized in this guide. Youths are also provided with an explanation of each step, which can be seen in their Engineering Notebooks. To the right is the EDP used in the EE units.

viii © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Educator Guide Components

An Educator Preview with background information, activity timing, key concepts, materials list, and preparation.

An Activity Guide with step-by-step instructions, including discussion questions, extension ideas, and tips.

Engineering Notebook pages that allow youths to record findings andreflect on their learning.

xiix © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

What You Need to Know Before Teaching an EE Unit

Engineering is fun.

The EE team hears this from many OST educators and youths alike. Engineering is really a way of problem solving—a way of thinking about the world—that is often very fun and creative. Any time you need to solve a problem in order to reach a goal, you are engineering.

There are no right or wrong answers.

There are often many great ways to solve the same problem. Not only is this a good engineering lesson for the youths in your program, it is a good life lesson.

You are a guide.

As the educator, it is your role to guide youths through these activities by encouraging them to pursue and communicate their own ideas, even if you think they might not work. Every problem has many possible solutions and multiple ways to reach them.

Ask questions!

Throughout the activities, you can ask questions prompting youths to share their prior knowledge, predict what they might find, or remind them of criteria that will help themas they engineer. Asking questions like these sets your youths up to succeed and feel confident in their ability to enginee .

It is okay to try it out!

It can be very helpful to try out the engineering challenge yourself—either beforehand or right alongside the youths in your program as they work through the activities. This can help you understand the challenges they might face.

Support reflection

Each activity includes 5-10 minutes at the end for youths to communicate with their peers by sharing their work. This gives youths the chance to discuss new ideas, think about their own work and the work of others, and reflect on what was learned. Group reflectiocan help reduce competition by encouraging youths to support each other as they move through the Engineering Design Process.

x © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Engineering Notebooks

Make a copy an Engineering Notebook for each youth before you begin working through this EE unit. Youths will use them as directed in the Activity Guide during every activity.

The Engineering Notebook is a central location for youths to record their thoughts and ideas as they move through the unit. Its pages guide youths through the Engineering Design Process, pose questions, and prompts youths to reflect on theirengineering work. The time youths spend with their Notebooks during each activity will allow them to create a personalized record of their engineering learning.

There are a few ways you can use the Engineering Notebook. You may want to have groups share one Engineering Notebook as a central recording spot for all group data and findings. This allows group members who enjoy writing and recording to do so. You may also encourage groups to share the responsibility by having group members rotate who records for each activity.

Tips and Tricks for Teaching the Unit

Post a Daily Agenda

Giving youths a sense of the day’s activity will help them to plan ahead and manage their time.

Facilitate Teamwork

Being able to work well in teams is an important skill for any engineer. You may want to assign team roles to help youths if they struggle with teamwork. Possible roles include: the notetaker, the materials gatherer, the tester, and the presenter.

This unit requires a collaborative workspace. Tables, desks, and chairs should be movable depending on the youths needs. It is a good idea to establish a materials table where you can set up materials for the day. Then, groups can be in charge of gathering their own materials when they are ready.

xvxi © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

BackgroundEngineering the Tools of Scientific DiscoverIn 2008, the National Academy of Engineers released a list of grand challenges that they decided were the most pressing engineering problems of the 21st century. Among them was the need for engineers to develop new tools for scientific discover . This highlights an important relationship between the fields of science and engineering. While science isoften associated with making observations of the natural world, engineering focuses on developing solutions to problems in the human-made world. The line between these fields isoften blurry, since engineers use scientific discoveries to inform their designs and scientistsutilize equipment and processes developed by engineers. As scientists begin embarking on new frontiers of scientific exploration in the 21st century, they will need the help of engineers to create new tools to aid their research.

In this unit, youths will engage in engineering a tool for scientific discovery: an accuratetimer. These timing technologies can be used as important tools, for scientific discover , and also in everyday life! The primary goal of this unit is to challenge youths to think creatively and use the Engineering Design Process to design their own technologies that are able to measure time.

Timekeeping DevicesTimekeeping devices have been used since ancient times, dating back to shadow clocks from ancient Egypt in 3500 BC. Since then, timekeeping instruments have continued to evolve to become more accurate and reliable. The water clock and hourglass rely on gravity to regulate the speed at which the fluid or particles flow through the contain , allowing observers to track the progression of time from either the depletion or accumulation of the substance. Mechanical clocks utilizing pendulums and complex gear mechanisms were introduced in the mid-15th century. Mechanical clocks quickly evolved into pocket watches and wrist watches. Currently, quartz and atomic clocks are relied upon to track time with unprecedented accuracy. In this unit, youths will explore the diverse functionality of hourglasses and water clocks as timers. More information about water clocks can be found on p. 39 of this Educator Guide.

Online ResourcesIf youths are interested in the history of timekeeping devices, they can visit the website of the National Institute of Standards of Technology, the federal agency in charge of tracking the nation’s official time, for more information: www.nist.gov/pml/general/time.

For more information about this unit, and other Engineering Everywhere units, visit:www.engineeringeverywhere.org.

xii © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Vocabulary

Constraint: A limitation or restriction of a design.

Criterion: A requirement of a design.

Engineer: Someone who uses his or her creativity and knowledge of math and science to design technologies that solve problems.

Engineering Design Process: The steps that engineers use to design technologies to solve problems.

Mechanical Engineering: The branch of engineering that deals with the design and performance of machines.

Technology: Any thing created by people to help solve a problem or meet a need.

© Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time xiii

National Education Standards

Act

ivity

1: W

hat i

s E

ngin

eerin

g?

Act

ivity

2: W

hat T

ime

Is It

?

Act

ivity

3: W

e A

ll Fa

ll D

own

Act

ivity

4: H

ands

on

Hou

rgla

sses

Act

ivity

5: C

reat

ing

Wat

er T

imer

s

Act

ivity

6: I

mpr

ovin

g W

ater

Tim

ers

Nat

iona

l Sci

ence

Edu

catio

n S

tand

ards

Science as Inquiry Physical Science Life Science Earth and Space ScienceScience and Technology Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

History and Nature of Science

ITE

EA

The Nature of Technology Technology and Society Design Abilities for a Technological World The Designed World

Engineering Everywhere units are written with the goal of teaching engineering skills and critical thinking practices. Many Engineering Everywhere units also touch upon a variety of science topics and principles. The engineering standards taught in this unit and the science topic links in this unit are noted below.

xiv © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Act

ivity

1: W

hat i

s E

ngin

eerin

g?

Act

ivity

2: W

hat T

ime

is It

?

Act

ivity

3: W

e A

ll Fa

ll D

own

Act

ivity

4: H

ands

on

Hou

rgla

sses

Act

ivity

5: C

reat

ing

Wat

er T

imer

s

Act

ivity

6: I

mpr

ovin

g W

ater

Tim

ers

Nex

t Gen

erat

ion

Sci

ence

Sta

ndar

ds

MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria andconstraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successfulsolution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impactson people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3 Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4 Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modificationof a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

National Education Standards

xxixv © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

How

do

you

know

if y

ou a

re le

adin

g th

ese

activ

ities

suc

cess

fully

? Th

is to

ol id

entif

ies

thre

e el

emen

ts o

f suc

cess

and

hig

hlig

hts

how

the

Edu

cato

r Gui

de s

uppo

rts y

ou in

set

ting

this

up

with

you

r you

ths.

Elem

ents

of s

ucce

ssW

hat d

oes

this

look

like

?H

ow d

oes

the

guid

e he

lp m

e fa

cilit

ate

this

?

Yout

hs w

ere

enga

ged

and

chal

leng

ed b

y th

e ac

tivity

. Th

ey p

ersi

sted

thro

ugh

diffi

culti

es

•Yo

uths

are

on-

task

.•

Yout

hs a

re tr

ying

out

thei

r ide

as.

•Yo

uths

iden

tify

wha

t is

wor

king

wel

l in

thei

rde

sign

s.•

Yout

hs tr

oubl

esho

ot th

eir o

wn

wor

k.•

Yout

hs im

prov

e th

eir d

esig

ns.

•U

se th

e bo

ld p

rom

pts

to a

sk o

pen-

ende

dqu

estio

ns to

hel

p yo

uths

trou

bles

hoot

thei

r wor

k.•

Use

the

bold

pro

mpt

s to

ask

you

ths

abou

t wha

tth

ey th

ink

is w

orki

ng w

ell i

n th

eir d

esig

ns a

ndw

hat t

hey

wou

ld li

ke to

impr

ove.

Thi

s w

ill h

elp

yout

hs fe

el m

ore

conf

iden

t abo

ut th

eir p

robl

emso

lvin

g ab

ilitie

s.

Yout

hs d

id m

ost o

f the

ta

lkin

g, s

harin

g th

eir i

deas

w

ith e

ach

othe

r dur

ing

the

entir

e ac

tivity

.

•Yo

uths

brin

g th

eir o

wn

idea

s to

the

activ

ity a

ndar

e co

mfo

rtabl

e sh

arin

g th

em.

•Yo

uths

bra

inst

orm

and

deb

ate

with

in th

eir

grou

ps.

•Yo

uths

sha

re th

eir d

esig

ns w

ith o

ther

s.•

Yout

hs ta

lk a

bout

how

thei

r ide

as a

re c

hang

ing

over

tim

e.

•U

se th

e bo

ld p

rom

pts

in th

e gu

ide

to e

ncou

rage

yout

hs to

sha

re a

nd e

xpla

in th

eir t

hink

ing.

•H

ave

yout

hs c

olla

bora

te in

gro

ups

so th

ey c

anbr

ains

torm

and

cre

ate

a de

sign

toge

ther

.•

Use

the

bold

pro

mpt

s in

the

Ref

lect

sec

tion

tohe

lpyo

uths

sha

re th

eir n

ew id

eas

abou

t des

igns

.

Yout

hs v

alue

thei

r en

gine

erin

g w

ork

as a

pr

oces

s, n

ot ju

st a

s th

e en

d re

sult.

•Yo

uths

go

beyo

nd ta

lkin

g ab

out t

heir

desi

gn to

talk

ing

abou

t how

they

thou

ght o

f it a

nd w

hyth

ey d

esig

ned

it.•

Yout

hs u

se th

e E

ngin

eerin

g D

esig

n P

roce

ss to

desc

ribe

thei

r act

ions

.

•U

se th

e bo

ld p

rom

pts

in th

e gu

ide

to a

sk y

outh

sho

w th

ey u

se th

e En

gine

erin

g D

esig

n Pr

oces

s.S

pend

ing

time

talk

ing

and

thin

king

abo

ut th

eir

proc

ess

will

hel

p yo

uths

see

the

valu

e in

it.

•U

se th

e bo

ld p

rom

pts

to a

sk a

ll yo

uths

abo

utim

prov

ing

thei

r des

igns

, eve

n if

thei

r des

igns

are

wor

king

wel

l.•

Enco

urag

e yo

uths

to re

flect

indi

vidu

ally

in th

eir

Eng

inee

ring

Not

eboo

ks to

giv

e th

em ti

me

for t

heir

expe

rienc

es to

sin

k in

and

be

rem

embe

red.

How

To

Rec

ogni

ze S

ucce

ss R

ubric

Tem

plat

e

xvi © Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere: It’s About Time

Elem

ents

of s

ucce

ssEv

iden

ce: W

here

did

I se

e th

is d

urin

g th

e ac

tivity

?W

hat w

as m

y ro

le in

mak

ing

this

hap

pen?

Yout

hs w

ere

enga

ged

and

chal

leng

ed b

y th

e ac

tivity

. Th

ey p

ersi

sted

thro

ugh

diffi

culti

es

Yout

hs d

id m

ost o

f the

ta

lkin

g, s

harin

g th

eir i

deas

w

ith e

ach

othe

r dur

ing

the

entir

e ac

tivity

.

Yout

hs v

alue

thei

r en

gine

erin

g w

ork

as a

pr

oces

s, n

ot ju

st a

s th

e en

d re

sult.

How

do

you

know

if y

ou a

re le

adin

g th

ese

activ

ities

suc

cess

fully

? Th

is to

ol w

ill h

elp

you

keep

trac

k of

you

r you

ths’

suc

cess

ful m

omen

ts

and

will

ask

you

to id

entif

y ho

w y

our o

wn

actio

ns e

nabl

ed y

outh

s to

suc

ceed

.

Dat

e:

A

ctiv

ity:

How

To

Rec

ogni

ze S

ucce

ss R

ubric

1 It’s About Time© Museum of ScienceEngineering Everywhere

What is Engineering?1

Activity 1 Preparation1. Post the Engineering Design Process poster.2. Place index cards, tape, scissors, and measuring tapes on a

Materials Table together, so each group can easily retrieve supplies.3. To make the model clock, copy and cut out one or both of the clocks

on Clock Image, p. 7 in this guide, and tape the clocks onto theplastic container. Fill the container with water and secure the lid. Thecontainer can be filled halfway, or all the way, depending on thechallenge you would like to give the youths.

4. Optional: If you think youths are not familiar with clock towers,find some example images to show before they begin.

Activity 1 Materials For the whole group

Engineering Design Process poster Clock Image

1 pair of scissors2 feet of masking tape 100 index cards

For each youthEngineering Notebook

Activity Timing:Identify: 5 minInvestigate: 10 minCreate: 20 minTest/Communicate:

20 min

55 min

21st Century Skill Highlight:CollaborationCritical Thinking

Overview: Youths will work together to engineer a tower that can support a model clock.

Note to Educator: The Engineering Design Process, introduced to youths during this activity, is a problem-solving process they will be asked to use throughout the rest of the unit. The interactions youths have with each other and the building of understanding that they can use the Engineering Design Process as a tool to solve lots of different problems are more important outcomes than the success or failure of their structures.

Educator PreviewA

ctiv

ity

1 plastic container with lid, 32 oz. 2 measuring tapes

For each group of 4-5


Notebook Pages for Activity 1

What is Engineering?, p. 1 Engineering Towers, p. 2


Youths will learn: • they are engineers and they can design a solution to a problem.• the Engineering Design Process is a tool used by engineers to solve problems.

Identify (5 min)1. Tell the group that during this activity they will all be engineers as

they work in groups to design a technology to solve a problem.2. Explain to youths they have been hired as engineers to solve a

problem for a small town. The town would like a clock tower in themiddle of the town, so the residents always know what time it is.

3. The citizens are not sure how to design the tower, so they have hiredthis group of youths to engineer a model as an example for them.Their towers need to hold a model clock (a deli container filled witwater with a clock face on it) at least two feet off of the ground for atleast 10 seconds.

4. Ask youths:• Do you think this is a problem you can help solve?• How would you describe the problem we are trying to solve?

We need to engineer a model clock tower that will hold modelclock at least two feet off of the ground for at least 10 seconds.

5. Write the goal so youths can refer to it throughout the challenge.

Investigate (10 min)1. Place youths in groups of 2 or 3.2. Before groups begin working, ask:

• Do you have any questions about the problem before youbegin engineering?

3. Give groups a few minutes to brainstorm questions together. Thenshare the questions with the whole group and record them on a pieceof chart paper.

4. If groups have trouble coming up with questions, you might suggestthe following:• Are there time or materials limits?• How will we know if we are successful?• Do we know anything about building structures that might

help us?5. Give each youth an Engineering Notebook, and have them write their

name on the front. Explain that they will use this throughout the unitto record their engineering work.

6. Have groups turn to What is Engineering?, p. 1 in their Engineering

Tip: Show youths images if they are not familiar with clock towers.

Tip: Criteria and constraints are mentioned several times throughout this unit. It can be helpful for youths to have a general sense of these terms.

Criteria: things you or your design needs to do.Constraints: ways you or your design are limited.

What is Engineering? Activity Guide1Activity


Notebooks, to find the answers to some of their questions. Be sureyouths understand:• They will work in groups.• Groups should aim to make their towers at least 2 feet tall.• Towers need to hold up a model clock (a deli container filled wit

water) for at least 10 seconds.• Each group will get 100 index cards and 2 feet of masking tape.• A pair of scissors and a measuring tape can be used as tools, but

can not be used as a part of the structure.• Groups will have 20 minutes to build their clock towers.• The tower cannot be taped to the table or anything else.• Groups can hold the model clock as they build, but cannot test

with it until the official testing time begins7. If there are questions the group generated that are not addressed

in their Engineering Notebooks, work as a group to decide on ananswer.

Imagine, Plan, Create (20 min)1. Let groups gather their materials. Tell youths they can draw a plan

for their towers on Engineering Towers, p. 2 in their Engineering Notebooks.

2. Set the timer for 20 minutes and allow groups to begin building.3. As groups work, circulate around the room. Ask questions like:

• Can you tell me about the tower you are engineering?• Why do you think your tower will work well?

4. Every 5 minutes, let groups know how much time they have left.5. When time is up, have groups step away from their own work and

observe the towers other groups created. Ask:• How are the towers similar or different? They use the same

materials, some shapes might be similar, some may be bigger orsmaller.

6. Emphasize that every group engineered a different solution to thesame problem—and that is great! In engineering, there are alwaysmultiple solutions to a problem.

Test & Communicate (20 min)1. Measure the height of each group’s tower and have them share their

designs. Ask:• Can you explain your design?• How did the design change as you were working on it?• How did you take the criteria and constraints into

consideration as you were engineering your tower?2. After explaining their designs, have each group put the model clock

on top and see if the tower holds. Ask:• How do you think you could improve your tower if you had

more time?3. Post the Engineering Design Process poster. Youths can also look in

Tip: Since this activity requires youths to interact with one another, use the opportunity to learn about how they approach problems and teamwork! Are there youths you feel might work well together in a group? Youths who seem hesitant? Could you help create groups that capitalize on individual strengths?

Tip: Depending on your group, you may see some youths concerned that this is a competition they need to “win.” Tell them that during the challenges in this unit, everyone should be working towards a personal best and learning about themselves as engineers. Both the successes and failures of all teams will get shared with the whole group, so everyone can learn from each other!


their Engineering Notebooks on pp. 12-13. Guide groups to reflect on the steps they took to reach their goal in this challenge. Ask:• Which of these steps did you use to engineer your tower?

4. Explain that engineers use a process called the Engineering DesignProcess to help them solve problems. Since everyone in the roomjust engineered a tower, everyone also used the EngineeringDesign Process!

5. Have youths think about how time felt as they were completing thisactivity. Ask:• How did it feel to know that you had a limited amount of

time?• Would you have approached the challenge differently if you

had more time, or did not know you had a time limit?• Did the 20 minutes feel like it went by quickly or slowly?

Why do you think so?6. Explain to youths that they will reflect much more on time and th

passing of time throughout this unit. In the next activity, they willconsider different types of technologies, including some timekeepingdevices, and explore how technologies are improved over time.

7. Give youths a chance to reflect on their design and the process the went through on the bottom of p. 2 in their Engineering Notebooks. Taking time to reflect will help youths consider what they learne from this activity and will support them in later activities.


Clock Image1Activity


What Time Is It?A

ctiv

ity2

Activity 2 Preparation1. Post the Engineering Design Process poster.2. Watch and prepare to play the Engineering Everywhere Special

Report video: https://vimeo.com/130557829.3. Remove or cover any clocks hanging in the room. Additionally, you

may want to collect cell phones and watches. Place two foam sheets on a table in the front of the room and describe them as a “Cell Phone Parking Lot.” If this is not an option, ask youths to keep their phones and watches in their bags throughout the activity.

4. Collect a book or magazine for youths to read aloud from.


Engineering Design Process posterEngineering Everywhere Special Report video1 book or magazine2 foam sheets

For each youthEngineering Notebook1 stopwatch

Activity Timing:Introduction: 5 minActivity: 30 minReflection: 10 min

45 min

21st Century Skill Highlight:Critical Thinking

Overview: Youths will consider their perceptions of time as they complete a series of challenges, during which they will try to keep track of time with no assistance from technology.

Note to Educator: The goal of this activity is to encourage youths to think about why timekeeping technologies are important tools that engineers have developed and are still working to improve.

Educator Preview



What Time is It?, p. 3


Youths will learn: • their individual perceptions of time are not always accurate.• perceptions of time change based on the activities in which they are participating.• timekeeping technologies are used to accurately keep track of time.

Identify (5 min)1. Have youths summarize what they worked on last time. Ask:

• What did you learn about the ways technologies change overtime? We learned that engineers improve technologies to try tomake them better, more efficient, cheape , etc.

2. Explain to youths that one problem humans have tried to solve forthousands of years is how to keep track of time. Ask:• Why do people need a way to keep track of time? So that

we do not miss appointments, so we know how long it takes forsomething to take place.

• How well would you be able to keep track of time if you hadno clocks or timers?

3. Explain to youths that today they are going to participate in someactivities to test their ability to track time accurately.

How Long is a Minute? (30 min)1. Tell youths they are going to test their perceptions of time. Ask:

• Who thinks that they can accurately time a minute without aclock or a timer?

• Could you do it while accomplishing a task, such as readingor singing?

2. Ask for a volunteer to read an excerpt from a book or magazine.Tell the volunteer that when they think a minute has gone by theyshould stop, and you will record how much time has passed with astopwatch.

3. After the first volunteer has gone, do not reveal his/her resulting timbut write it down. Ask the rest of the group if they think they can judgeone minute. Invite each volunteer who wants to participate to taketurns completing the challenge one by one. Record each participant’stime.

4. Once all of the volunteers have participated, reveal the resulting times for each participant. Have them record their times on What Time Is It?, p. 3 in their Engineering Notebooks. Ask:• Did you perform better or worse than you thought you

would?• What was difficult about this challenge? We were distracted.

Tip: Make sure to collect all cell phones, watches, or devices that tell time, or ask youths to keep them hidden for this activity.

Tip: If volunteers do not want to read in front of a group, then ask them to either tell a story or some of their favorite jokes, sing a song, dance, etc. The goal of this activity is to prevent them from counting internally, so choose an activity that requires speaking or movement.

Tip: If you have a large group, you may want to pair up youths to time each other, or set up a “participation station” where another staff member or a volunteer youth will help with timing.

What Time Is It? Activity GuideA

ctiv

ity2


5. Explain to youths they will try the same challenge again but withoutperforming a task at the same time.

6. Give each youth a stopwatch, and make sure they know how to usethem. Inform the group they will all put their heads down on the tableand close their eyes. They will all start their timers at the same time.When they think that one minute has passed, they should stop theirtimer but should not lift up their heads to read their timers or make asound until you tell them.

7. Have youths perform the activity. After about 90 seconds have elapsed, instruct youths to lift up their heads and check their timers. Have them record their times in the Challenge 2 box on p. 3 in their Engineering Notebooks. Invite each youth to share their time. Ask:• Did you perform better or worse than you thought you

would?• Did you perform better or worse than in the last activity

where you were distracted? Most will probably perform better.• Why do you think you got those results? It may have been

helpful to be able to count.8. Confirm for youths that when you are doing something more active

sometimes time can seem to move faster. Our perceptions of timecan change based on what we are doing.

9. Tell youths they will watch a video about why time and timers areimportant to the world we live in.

10. Play the Engineering Everywhere Special Report (0:00-9:30):https://vimeo.com/130557829. After the video, ask:• What types of clocks and timers were discussed in the

video? Water clocks, pendulums, clocks for barbers, etc.• Why do you think the clocks and timers mentioned in the

video were each designed differently? They were each createdfor a specific situation and/or to measure a specific amounttime. Their designs are based on unique criteria and constraints.

Reflect (10 min)1. To reflect on the activit , ask:

• What did you learn today about people’s ability to keep trackof time? We are not very good at it because we all perceive timedifferently.

• Why do you think that engineers have developedtechnologies that keep track of time for us? So that we knowexactly what time it is without having to rely just on perception.

2. Tell youths that in this unit they will engineer different types oftimekeeping devices and will ultimately engineer a timekeepingtechnology to track time for a personally relevant event.

3. Give youths a few minutes to complete the questions on the bottom of p. 3 in their Engineering Notebooks. This will help youths reflect o time and prepare them for the next activities.

Tip: Have youths repeat the timer activity and observe whether their second time is the same as their first. Ask youths “Why do you think your times were the same or different?”

Tip: Add additional challenges to test time prediction. For example, have youths predict how much time it will take them to walk up and down the hallway or complete 20 jumping jacks.


We All Fall DownA

ctiv

ity3

Activity 3 Preparation1. Post the Engineering Design Process poster.2. Place the dominoes in sets of 50, so groups can easily retrieve their

supplies. Each group should be given 50 dominoes for their initialexploration.

3. On a piece of chart paper, write the title: Qualities of a Good Timer, as seen on p. 12 in this guide.


Engineering Design Process poster 400 dominoes (will be split up into 50 per group)2 measuring tapesFor each group of 4-51 stopwatch50 dominoes


Activity Timing:Introduction: 5 minExploration: 15 minDomino Timer: 30 minReflect: 5 mi

55 min

21st Century Skill Highlight:CollaborationCritical ThinkingTeamwork

Overview: Youths will engineer a timer by exploring the natural rhythms of falling dominoes.

Note to Educator: The goal of this activity is to encourage youths to think creatively about ways time can be measured. The construction of an accurate timer is not the important takeaway from this activity. It is most important that youths can identify and understand that regular and repeating events, like falling dominoes, can be used to track time.

Educator Preview



Chart for Activity 3

Qualities of a Good Timer

We All Fall Down, p. 4


Youths will learn: • there are many ways in which time can be measured. Non-traditional timers can be

created using patterns or regular, repeating motion.• they can investigate how dominoes fall and then use the imagine, plan, and create

steps of the Engineering Design Process to engineer one type of timer.

Introduction (5 min)1. Have youths summarize what they learned in the last activity. Ask:

• Why do we need engineers, like you, to develop technologiesthat keep track of time? Perceptions of time vary betweendifferent people, so we need technology that can track time for us.

• What are events or games you participate in during your dailylives for which you might want to keep track of time? Classperiods, sports races (swimming, track), sports periods, boardgames that require timers, bus and train schedules.

• What are some technologies we have engineered to helpus measure or keep time during these activities? Clocks,computers, cell phones, watches, stopwatches.

2. Challenge youths to think beyond traditional timekeepingtechnologies. Ask:• How might you keep track of time if there is a power outage?• What if your cellphone, watch, or computer battery dies?

Domino Exploration (15 min)1. Tell youths their challenge today will be to engineer a five secon

timer out of dominoes, emphasizing that the timer needs to be asaccurate as possible. Tell youths to think about timers that you mightuse during a sporting event or board game. Ask:• What are some qualities that make these good timers? Tells

accurate time, repeatable, etc.2. Record the qualities of a good timer on the sheet of chart paper you

prepared. Encourage youths to continue thinking about qualities of agood timer and add these qualities to the list anytime throughout theunit. Ask the group:• How do you think you can use dominoes to make a timer that

has some of these qualities? Accept all answers.3. Tell youths they will have about 10 minutes to investigate how to use

dominoes to track time. Then, they will work in two teams to make afive second timer and see whose timer is the most accurate

4. Encourage youths to think about how far they should space theirdominoes and whether to build in a straight or curvy line, and trydifferent options.

We All Fall Down Activity GuideA

ctiv

ity3


5. Have youths sit in groups of 3-4. Pass out one stopwatch and 50 dominoes to each group. Encourage groups to write down any observations on We All Fall Down, p. 4 in their Engineering Notebooks. As groups work, circulate around the room and ask:• How does the number of dominoes affect the time it takes for

the dominoes to fall?• How does spacing impact the time it takes for the dominoes

to fall?• Do turns affect the time it takes for the dominoes to fall?

6. When time is up, have youths review their findings. Ask:• Do you have enough dominoes right now to complete a five

second timer? No, we can only time about two seconds.

Domino Timer (30 min)1. Tell the whole group they will now split into two teams, each with 200

dominoes, to construct a domino timer that measures five seconds2. Give the teams 5-10 minutes to come up with a plan for how they will

construct their domino timer.3. Once the teams have a plan, pass out the remaining dominoes and

give them 20 minutes to create their timer.4. Once the domino timers are ready to go, ask youths to share their

predictions. Start one domino timer and keep track of its accuracy using a stopwatch. Measure the second timer. Have youths record how many dominoes they used and the timer’s duration on We All Fall Down, p. 4 in their Engineering Notebooks, under the final dominoes timer section.

Reflect (5 min)1. Refer back to the Qualities of a Good Timer chart. Ask:

• Are dominoes an accurate way of measuring of time? Maybe,it depends on how accurate the set up is, etc.

• Are dominoes a convenient way of measuring time? Why?No, because you have to set them up each time, they fall a lot.

• Are there any qualities of a good timer you would like toadd to our list after today’s activity? Easy to set up. Add otherqualities youths suggest to the list.

2. Congratulate youths on completing their first time . Tell them that nexttime they will have an opportunity to engineer a device that tracks thepassage of time using sand or beads. Ask:• Do you think sand or beads could be used in a way similar to

the dominoes to keep track of time? Accept all answers.• What could be some advantages of using these materials for

a timer? What are some disadvantages? Easier set up, easier to control the flow rate, reusable. May be heavy, or it could leak.

Tip: Depending on the size of your group, you can also have your whole group work together to build one timer.

Tip: Groups may want to predict how many dominoes they need in order to create a five second time . They can use We All Fall Down, p. 4in their Engineering Notebooks, as a guide.

Tip: Setting up dominos can be frustrating, and that is part of the point of this activity! Youths will realize that other timers may be better, and will start thinking about the qualities that make for a good timer.

Note: Save the Qualities of a Good Timer for youths to refer to and add to throughout the rest of the unit.


Hands on HourglassesA

ctiv

ity4

Activity 4 Preparation1. Post the Engineering Design Process poster.2. Post the Qualities of a Good Timer list.3. Gather at least three different hourglasses of different sizes,

preferably that measure different lengths of time. If possible, collectexamples with variable hole sizes and orientations, fluid volumeand viscosities, and materials.

4. Label the hourglasses #1, #2, and #3.5. Set the whole group materials on a designated Materials Table.6. Prepare a set of materials for each group.


Engineering Design Process poster Qualities of a Good Timer list from Activity 21 pack of modeling clay1 roll of string1 utility knife (see safety tip on next page)2 lb. bag of pony beads2 rolls of masking tape3 assorted hourglasses4 lb. bag of art sand3 rolls of duct tape8 plastic cups, 10 oz.8 plastic deli containers, 32 oz.

Activity Timing:Introduction: 5 minObservation: 10 minCreate: 30 minTest and Reflect:

10 min

55 min

21st Century Skill Highlight:CreativityProblem SolvingTeamwork

Overview: Youths will experiment with hourglasses and design a timer that measures one minute.

Note to Educator: The goal of this activity is to have youths explore how draining sand or beads from a container can be used to track the passage of time. Encourage youths to make connections between how hole size, hole orientation, and type of filling can bealtered to change how fast or slow the sand or beads drain out of a container.

8 transparency sheets 10 coffee stirrers10 drinking straws10 plastic bags, 6” x 9” 10 plastic bags,12” x 15” 10 sheets of foam16 funnels2 measuring tapes

For each group of 31 aluminum roasting pan 1 liquid measuring cup 1 pair of scissors1 permanent marker1 stopwatch


Educator Preview



Safety Considerations for Activity 4

A utility knife and scissors are provided to poke holes in the plastic containers for youths’ hourglass timers. Please allow only adults to use the knife.

Hands On Hourglasses, p. 5


Youths will learn: • draining sand or beads out of a container can be used to track the passage of time.• hole size and volume can influence how fast the sand or beads flows out of t

containers.• there are advantages and disadvantages to using hourglasses to track time.

Introduction (5 min)1. Have youths reflect upon the activity they did last time. Ask:

• What type of timer did you engineer last time? Domino timer tomeasure a short period of time.

• What are some of the disadvantages of using dominoes totrack time? They take a long time to set up. You can only useyour timer once. You can only measure a relatively short period oftime.

2. Tell youths that today they will have an opportunity to learn aboutsome new ways to track the passage of time. But first, they wilexamine some timekeeping devices.

Hourglass Observation (10 min)1. Hold up the example hourglasses so youths can see. Do not flip ove

the hourglasses. Ask:• Have you seen or do you know anything about this type of

timekeeping device?• How does it track time?

2. Explain that each hourglass measures a different amount of time,but you do not know exactly how long each measures. Explain thatyouths will split into groups and try to predict which hourglass will lastthe longest and which will last the shortest time.

3. Split youths into groups of 2-3. Allow groups to inspect the hourglasses but tell them they may not flip over the hourglasses Give groups a couple of minutes to predict which hourglass will last the longest amount of time and which will last the shortest. They can write their predictions on Hands on Hourglasses, p. 5 in their Engineering Notebook.

4. To test the hourglasses, flip them all over at the same time. As theyfinish, line up the hourglasses from shortest to longest time. Ask:• Was your hypothesis correct about the length of time of the

hourglass?• What do you think caused the differences in time between the

various hourglasses? Different shapes, materials inside, sizeof hole between the two chambers, etc. Make sure youths knowthese are known as variables.

Hands on Hourglasses Activity GuideA

ctiv

ity4


Making an Hourglass (30 min)1. Tell groups they will now engineer their own hourglass that should

run for exactly one minute. Hand out a stopwatch to each group, sothey can test their designs.

2. Show groups the materials they have to work with. Tell groupsthey must pick only one material to be inside of their hourglass. Toencourage youths to think about the materials, ask:• What materials can you make your own funnels out of?

Paper, transparency paper, and foam.• How could you use the bags, foam, and transparencies

as containers? Encourage all answers. Youths may suggestthey fill a bag with water and hold it up with string, or insert thtransparency into a design to see the water go down in whatotherwise would be an opaque container.

3. Tell groups they can plan their design on Hands on Hourglasses, p. 5 in their Engineering Notebooks. They can test as they go, but they will do an official test as a full group.

4. Have groups gather their materials and tell them they have 25minutes to complete their hourglasses.

5. As groups are working, circulate to each and ask questions like:• Can you tell me about your design?• Are the materials working like you thought they would?• What variables are you changing?

6. Let groups know when they have 15, 10, and 5 minutes remaining.

Test and Reflect (10 min)1. Have groups test the accuracy of their final hourglasses and shar

out the results with the whole group.2. Have youths take a minute to respond to the question on the bottom

of p. 5 in their Engineering Notebooks. Then ask:• How well did these timers work compared to the domino

timers? Why? More efficient, easier to set up, etc• What variables determine how long the hourglass runs for?

Youths may point out that the size or shape of the containers, thesize of the particles, the size of the hole, and the material in thehourglass can affect how long it runs for.

• What other materials do you think would make yourhourglass more efficient? Encourage all answers.

• What steps of the Engineering Design Process have we usedfor this challenge? We investigated what variables affect anhourglass, we planned, created and tested our designs.

3. Tell youths that next time they will be introduced to their finaengineering challenge: engineering a timer using water. Ask:• How could you use water to track time?• Are there any ideas you can take away from today’s lesson

that might be able to help you next time?

Tip: Let groups know that they may have to deconstruct their hourglasses if they want to use some of the materials in their final design challenge.


Creating Water TimersA

ctiv

ity 5

Activity 5 Preparation1. Post the Engineering Design Process poster.2. Post the Qualities of a Good Timer chart.3. Prepare each group’s materials.4. Set up a Materials Table on a central table with remaining materials.5. Review Water Clock Tutorial, p. 23 in this guide.6. Optional: Collect various containers for groups to use in their

challenge.


Engineering Design Process poster

Qualities of a Good Timer list 1 pack of modeling clay

1 roll of aluminum foil 1 roll of string 1 utility knife (see safety tip on next page) 4 funnels 4 pitchers of water 3 rolls duct tape 8 plastic deli containers, 32 oz. 8 transparency sheets 10 coffee stirrers

Activity Timing:Introduction: 5 minPlan: 10 minCreate: 30 minTest: 10 minReflect: 5 mi

60 min

21st Century Skill Highlight:CreativityCollaboration

Overview: Youths will apply what they have learned about timers and the Engineering Design Process to engineer a timer for a personally relevant event.

Note to Educator: During this activity, your role will be to support groups as they take charge of their designs, rather than to facilitate the lesson. Encouraging groups to imagine, push their thinking, and ask good questions will be important parts of your role today.

10 drinking strawsplastic tubing, 1/4”10 plastic bags, 6” x 9”10 plastic bags, 12” x 15” 16 plastic cups, 10 oz. 2 measuring tapes

For each group of 4-51 aluminum roasting pan

1 liquid measuring cup 1 permanent marker1 scissors1 stopwatch


Educator Preview





Water Timer Challenge, p. 6 Water Timer Background, p. 7

Water Timer: Plan, p. 8


Youths will learn: • the Engineering Design Process can help guide them to a successful solution.• designs do not always work the first time and the , as engineers, can learn from

mistakes.• working as a team is an important part of engineering their timing technologies.

Introduction (5 min)1. Tell youths today they will start their final engineering desig

challenge. Explain their goal will be to engineer a water timer thataccurately measures an event in their everyday lives that takes either1, 2, or 5 minutes.

2. Have youths turn to Water Timer Challenge, p. 6 in their Engineering Notebooks.

3. Go over the criteria and constraints of the design challenge. Explainthat each group will need to choose a personally relevant event thatlasts 1, 2, or 5 minutes that they would like to time. They must thenengineer a water timer that can accurately measure the event thegroup has chosen to time.

4. Show groups the materials that will be available for their challenge. Also, tell groups they can find more information about water timers on Water Timer Background, p. 7 in their Engineering Notebooks.

5. Ask:• What are some ideas that could help you complete this

challenge?• What ideas from the domino timers and hourglasses can you

apply to this challenge?• From your list of qualities that make a good timer, what are

some qualities you are going to focus on today?

Plan (10 min)1. Point youths’ attention to the Engineering Design Process poster. Tell

youths they will have 10 minutes to imagine and plan their designs,then 30 minutes to create their designs, and then they will do anofficial test as a whole group.

2. Have youths break up into groups of 2-3.3. Give groups 10 minutes to choose the event they would like to time

and imagine and plan their designs. Have groups sketch their design on Water Timer: Plan, p. 8 in their Engineering Notebooks.

4. Have groups present their design plans to you. Once their plan hasbeen approved, allow the groups to visit the Materials Table to collecttheir materials.

Note: You can finda tutorial on water timers on p. 39 of this guide and a simplifiedversion on p. 10 of the youths’ Engineering Notebooks.

Tip: Possible events that youths could choose to time are: • brushing their teeth• a homework break• snack time at their

afterschool program

Tip: You may want to limit the amount of tubing each group can get to make sure everyone has some to work with.

Tip: Encourage youths to think outside of the box. Their timer may include multiple parts, and they can use more than just the containers and cups as vessels for the water.

Creating Water TimersA

ctiv

ity5 Activity Guide


Create (30 min) 1. Allow groups 30 minutes to create their designs.2. As groups are working, circulate and ask:

• How did you develop this design?• How will your design work?• Why did you choose these materials?

3. Encourage youths to explore variations of their water timer design.Ask:• What do you think may happen if you place the hole on the

side of the cup? What about at the top?• What do you think will happen if you make the hole smaller or

larger?4. Announce when groups have 15, 10, and 5 minutes left.

Test and Share (10 min)1. Have half of the groups test their timers at the same time by having

one group member measure the accuracy of the timer using a stopwatch. Tell groups to record duration of their timer on the bottom of p. 8 in their Engineering Notebooks. Then have the other half of groups test, repeating the same procedure.

2. Give youths a few minutes to do a gallery walk to see all the designs. Have groups place p. 8 in their Engineering Notebooks next to their timer, so other youths can see the results.

3. Ask groups:• How successful was your timer at tracking the time?• What improvements can be made on your timer?

4. Allow other groups to offer feedback or suggestions for how eachtimer can be improved.

5. Once everybody has shared, have groups store their timers for nexttime and clean up their work space. Collect unused materials to beused next time.

Reflect (5 min)1. Congratulate youths on their progress toward solving their

engineering design challenge.2. Refer to the Qualities of a Good Timer chart. Ask:

• Did you achieve any of these qualities in your timers today?• What are some qualities you want to work on next time?

3. Point to the Engineering Design Process poster. Ask:• What steps of the Engineering Design Process did you use

today? Identify, imagine, plan, create, and test.• What steps were particularly helpful to you today?

4. Let groups know that they will have time to improve their designsnext time. They will also get an additional challenge to incorporateinto their design.

Tip: If youths could benefit from additionalroles, groups may assign an officialtimer, recorder, or tester.


Water clocks are among the oldest timekeeping devices. Evidence suggests these ancient technologies were engineered to measure time throughout the world, from Greece and Egypt all the way to China and India, as early as the 16th century BC.

Water clocks measure time by controlling the flow of water from one container to anothe . The simplest water clocks either measure the amount of water flowing out of a containeror track the amount of water flowing into a containe . Placing marks along the side of the container allows observers to see a representation of the progression of time.

While there are many complex factors that affect how more complicated water clocks work, the youths in your group should aim to figure out how they can control the flow of watebetween two containers to measure small units of time. The schematic below gives a basic idea of how to construct the simplest of water clocks. This should provide you a background so that you can guide your group. However, we encourage you to allow youths to imagine and test their own original water clock designs.

FillingWater Clock

Dripping Water Clock

Water Clock Tutorial


Improving Water TimersA

ctiv

ity6

Activity 6 Preparation1. Post the Engineering Design Process poster.2. Post the Qualities of a Good Timer list.3. Prepare each group’s material kit.4. Set up a Materials Table on a central table with all remaining

materials.


Engineering Design Process posterQualities of a Good Timer chart 1 box food coloring

1 pack of modeling clay 1 roll of aluminum foil 1 roll of string 1 utility knife (see safety tip on next page) 4 funnels 4 pitchers of water 3 rolls duct tape 8 plastic deli containers, 32 oz. 8 transparency sheets 10 coffee stirrers 2 measuring tapes

Activity Timing:Introduction: 5 minShare: 10 minImprove: 30 minTest: 10 minCommunicate: 5 min

60 min

21st Century Skill Highlight:Critical ThinkingCreativityProblem Solving

Overview: Groups will improve their timer designs and be introduced to a new challenge: adding a display or signal component to their timers. They will also think about how they will present their designs and knowledge of the Engineering Design Process during the Engineering Showcase.

Note to Educator: Some groups will want to continue improving their timers’ accuracy, while others will want to move on to the additional challenge of adding a signal or display.

10 drinking straws plastic tubing, 1/4” 10 plastic bags, 6” x 9” 10 plastic bags, 12” x 15”

16 plastic cups, 10 oz.20 small jingle bells optional: various containers

For each group of 4-51 aluminum roasting pan

1 liquid measuring cup 1 permanent marker1 scissors1 stopwatch


Educator Preview





Displays and Signals, p. 9 Time’s Up!, p. 10


Youths will learn: • the Engineering Design Process can help guide them to a successful solution.• designs do not always work the first time• engineers learn from their failures.

Introduction (5 min)1. Let groups know that they will have 30 minutes today to improve their

timer.2. Announce that a new criterion has been added to their challenge:

a display or signal must be included, so people can easily monitorwhen the time has been completed.

3. Ask the group:• Why might it be useful to have a signal when time is up? So

you know when to stop.• What sort of signals can you think of that display time or

signal the end of a timer? Hands on a clock face, flag moving ua display, ticking noises, buzzer, color change, etc.

4. Tell youths they can find examples of timer displays and signals o Displays and Signals, p. 9 in their Engineering Notebooks.

5. Show youths the new additional materials they will have available fortheir challenge. Encourage groups to be creative in their display orsignal. Explain that multiple types of displays or signals can be addedto each timer.

Advice Exchange (10 min)1. Give youths 2 minutes to meet with their groups and brainstorm ideas

for their timer’s display or signal.2. Assign each group to pair up with another group for sharing.

Instruct youths to have one group present the challenges they areexperiencing with their design and the ideas they have developed fortheir timer’s display or signal. Allow the other group to provide adviceor feedback on the design.

3. Have groups switch, so both groups get advice and feedback.

Improve (25 min)1. Tell groups that they can sketch their final designs on Time’s Up!, p.

10 in their Engineering Notebooks. They will have about 30 minutes to improve their timers, and the will do an official test as a whole group.

2. Give groups 30 minutes to improve their designs by incorporating thefeedback they have received and adding their displays.

3. Try to keep an eye out for groups that might be having difficulties

Tip: If groups are struggling to design an accurate timer, allow them to continue working on the original design challenge instead of incorporating the display into their timer.

Improving Water TimersA

ctiv

ity6 Activity Guide


You can assist them or see if you can match them up with another group of consulting engineers who might be able to offer them some advice or help along the way.

4. As groups improve, ask:• What is working well in your design?• What sort of improvements are you trying to make on your

device?• How are you going to incorporate a display or signal into

your timer?5. Tell groups when they have 20 min, 10 min, and 5 min left to work.

Test (10 min)1. Tell groups they will now move on to the test step of the Engineering

Design Process.2. Have half the groups test their designs at the same time by having

one group member measure the accuracy of the timer using a stopwatch. Tell the groups to record their results on p. 10 in their Engineering Notebooks. Then have the other groups test, following the same procedure.

3. When testing is complete, ask each group:• How did you improve upon your timer today?• How could you further improve upon your design if you had

more time?

Reflect (10 min)Encourage youths to reflect on the Engineering Design Process. Ask:• How did you use all the steps of the Engineering Design

Process?• Which steps of the Engineering Design Process were most

helpful to you?• Can you imagine other problems you might solve using the

Engineering Design Process?Give youths time to complete Engineer Profile, p. 11 in their Engineering Notebooks. Giving youths time to record their thoughts will help them reflect on and wrap up their experiences.

Go around in a circle and have everyone share their responses to thefollowing questions:• What are you most proud of doing as part of this engineering

group?• Why do you consider yourself an engineer?• What do you want to engineer next?Give each youth their Engineering Notebook. Thank youths for theirparticipation in this engineering unit and encourage their futureengineering endeavors!

It’s About Timetechnology and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators....

Documents

Transcript of It’s About Timetechnology and inspire the next generation of engineers, inventors, and innovators....