Engineering Design Process — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A Grade 3 team builds a popsicle-stick bridge. It breaks at 5 blocks but must hold 10. What should they do next?
A) Give up and choose a new project
B) Analyze the break and improve the weak part
C) Test the same bridge again with no changes
D) Remove blocks until the bridge stops breaking
Grade 3 NGSS 3-5-ETS1: after failure, engineers improve the weak part.
2. Which choice best describes an iteration in Grade 3 engineering?
A) Building one perfect design on the first try
B) Testing only once and stopping
C) Repeating steps to make the design better
D) Skipping the plan step to save time
Grade 3 science: iteration is repeating steps to improve a design.
3. A rainproof backpack cover leaks at the seams. What constraint might matter most?
A) The color of the cover
B) The name of the engineer
C) The waterproofness of the material
D) The weight of the backpack's books
Grade 3 NGSS 3-5-ETS1: materials must match the design's goal.
4. Grade 3 engineers finish testing. What should they share with the class?
A) Only the parts that worked well
B) Only the parts that failed
C) The results, what they learned, and next steps
D) Nothing until the design is perfect
Grade 3 science: engineers communicate full results to improve work.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. Repeating the design cycle many times is called iteration.
Grade 3 NGSS 3-5-ETS1: iteration drives better designs.
2. A first version of a design made to test ideas is a prototype.
Grade 3 vocabulary: prototypes are test models.
3. A limit like 'use only 20 sticks' is called a constraint.
Grade 3 NGSS 3-5-ETS1: constraints shape what engineers can do.
4. A success rule like 'must hold 10 blocks' is a criterion.
Grade 3 science: criteria tell when a design is successful.
5. When engineers change parts after a test to fix problems, they improve the design.
Grade 3 NGSS 3-5-ETS1: improving comes after testing and review.