MIDDLE SCHOOL TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN PROCESS
Everyone loves to fold a paper airplane and launch it to see how far it will go. Typically, most of us don’t take the time to understand the science and engineering behind it, and the airplane doesn’t go very far. At St. Peter, our teachers are always looking for ways to give our students creative, hands-on experiences to learn new things. So it comes as no surprise that, when learning about the Technological Design Process and comparing science and technology, Ms. Quillo would have her students head outside to design and test paper airplanes.
The students were comparing the differences between science (the study of the natural world) and technology (how people change the world around them to meet their needs and solve problems.) They were learning that someone who works in both of these fields simultaneously is an engineer. An essential part of what an engineer does is the 6 step Technological Design Process. The students were taught how to
Identify the need
Research the problem
Design a solution using brainstorming with other team members
Build a prototype
Troubleshoot and redesign
Communicate the solution
The students faced the problem of how to build a paper airplane that would fly for more than 10 seconds. First, they headed outside to test their prototypes, and then the group discussed which one stayed aloft the longest, and they evaluated their design to determine if they wanted to make any changes. Next, they were given several attempts to work together to perfect their design and finally had to choose one of their airplanes for the official test flight. Next, the students timed how long the plane was airborne to see if the 10-second goal was met. Finally, after flying the planes, the students took some time to answer questions about ways to redesign, things they saw in other planes they liked, and things they might have done differently.
The students worked together to alter their planes and even the way they would launch them to make for a longer glide time. While no planes during 8th-grade science that morning stayed in the air for 10 seconds, the teamwork, collaboration, and group brainstorming made the experience a success.
