This Grade 4 medium sheet focuses on brainstorming many solutions and comparing trade-offs. Students complete nine fill-in-the-blank sentences about evaluating ideas, then match four real projects like bridges, paper airplanes, water filters, and marble runs to their typical trade-offs. Vocabulary covers brainstorming, selecting, sturdy, and accurate. The activities push Grade 4 learners to weigh strengths against weaknesses just like real engineers comparing several possible solutions before choosing one.
Style:
Engineering Design Challenges
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Coming up with many possible solutions is called brainstorming.
2. When one choice gives up speed for strength, that is a trade-off.
3. A bridge made from straws is cheap but not very sturdy.
4. A paper airplane with wider wings flies slower but more steady.
5. A water filter using sand and gravel removes particles from dirty water.
6. Comparing two designs side by side is part of evaluating solutions.
7. A faster marble run is fun, but it can be less accurate.
8. Choosing one design from many ideas is called selecting a solution.
9. Engineers often draw two ideas to compare designs side by side.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Bridge project
→ Trade-off between cost and strength
Trade-off between cost and strength
Paper airplane
→ Trade-off between speed and steadiness
Trade-off between speed and steadiness
Water filter
→ Trade-off between flow rate and cleanliness
Trade-off between flow rate and cleanliness
Marble run
→ Trade-off between speed and accuracy
Trade-off between speed and accuracy
Engineering Design Challenges
★ Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1) Coming up with many possible solutions is called brainstorming.
2) When one choice gives up speed for strength, that is a trade-off.
3) A bridge made from straws is cheap but not very sturdy.
4) A paper airplane with wider wings flies slower but more steady.
5) A water filter using sand and gravel removes particles from dirty water.
6) Comparing two designs side by side is part of evaluating solutions.
7) A faster marble run is fun, but it can be less accurate.
8) Choosing one design from many ideas is called selecting a solution.
9) Engineers often draw two ideas to compare designs side by side.
★ Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1) Match each item to its correct answer.
Bridge project
→ Trade-off between cost and strength
Trade-off between cost and strength
Paper airplane
→ Trade-off between speed and steadiness
Trade-off between speed and steadiness
Water filter
→ Trade-off between flow rate and cleanliness
Trade-off between flow rate and cleanliness
Marble run
→ Trade-off between speed and accuracy
Trade-off between speed and accuracy
Ready to Practice?
Complete each section carefully.
10 Questions
10-15 minutes
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