Failure Fighters: Engineering Our Way to Success!

Science Grades 5th Grade 4:02 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn how engineers use plans, models, and tests to find and fix failure points in their designs. We'll explore variables, trials, and how to make solutions even better by learning from mistakes!

Video Resource

Fixing Failure Points: Crash Course Kids #42.2

Crash Course Kids

Duration: 4:02
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Failure Point
  • Variable
  • Trial
  • Model
  • Plan

Learning Objectives

  • Define a failure point and explain why it's important for engineers to understand them.
  • Describe the steps engineers take to find and fix failure points in a solution.
  • Design and conduct a simple test to identify a failure point in a model.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students what they think it means to 'fail.' Discuss how failure is often seen as negative, but can be a valuable learning experience. Introduce the video and explain that it will show how engineers use failure to improve their designs.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the Crash Course Kids video: 'Fixing Failure Points: Crash Course Kids #42.2'. Encourage students to take notes on key vocabulary and concepts as they watch.
  • Discussion (8 mins)
    Facilitate a class discussion about the video. Use the discussion questions to guide the conversation.
  • Interactive Activity: Bridge Building Challenge (20 mins)
    Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with materials such as straws, tape, paper clips, and string. Challenge them to build a small bridge that can hold a certain amount of weight (e.g., a stack of textbooks). Encourage them to test their bridge and identify failure points. After testing, allow students time to modify their bridge designs to address the failure points they identified.
  • Wrap-up (5 mins)
    Review the key concepts of the lesson and emphasize the importance of learning from failure. Have students reflect on the challenges they faced during the bridge-building activity and how they were able to improve their designs.

Interactive Exercises

  • Bridge Building Challenge
    Students will design, build, test, and modify a model bridge to support a specific weight. They will document their process, noting failure points and the changes they make to address them.

Discussion Questions

  • What is a failure point, and why is it important to identify?
  • What are the steps engineers take to find and fix failure points?
  • Why do engineers create models instead of immediately building a full-size solution?
  • How did the Tacoma Narrows Bridge demonstrate the importance of identifying potential failure points related to the wind?
  • In your own words, explain how 'planning to fail' helps improve a design.

Skills Developed

  • Problem-solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Engineering Design
  • Scientific Inquiry

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What is a 'failure point' in engineering?

Correct Answer: When a solution stops working.

Question 2:

What is the first thing engineers do when trying to fix a problem?

Correct Answer: Make a plan.

Question 3:

What is a 'variable'?

Correct Answer: Something that can change in an experiment.

Question 4:

Why do engineers build models?

Correct Answer: Both B and C

Question 5:

What happened to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?

Correct Answer: It collapsed because of the wind.

Question 6:

What is a 'trial'?

Correct Answer: A test that is repeated.

Question 7:

What should you do if your bridge design fails?

Correct Answer: Identify why it failed and make changes

Question 8:

Engineers isolate a ___________ and change it during a series of tests.

Correct Answer: Variable

Question 9:

What does it mean to 'plan to fail'?

Correct Answer: To accept failure is inevitable and use it to learn.

Question 10:

What is the best way to make your solution better?

Correct Answer: By carefully planning tests to look for failure points.

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

When a solution stops working, it is called a __________ __________.

Correct Answer: failure point

Question 2:

A(n) __________ is an organized series of steps to accomplish a goal.

Correct Answer: plan

Question 3:

Engineers use __________ to test solutions in early stages.

Correct Answer: models

Question 4:

The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed because of strong __________.

Correct Answer: wind

Question 5:

A __________ is something that can be changed in a test.

Correct Answer: variable

Question 6:

When you test something many times, each test is called a __________.

Correct Answer: trial

Question 7:

Adding extra __________ can make a bridge stronger.

Correct Answer: support

Question 8:

By planning to fail, you are really making your solution __________.

Correct Answer: better

Question 9:

Isolating a __________ is part of the planning process when trying to solve a problem.

Correct Answer: variable

Question 10:

Engineers try to __________ their solution to prevent failure points from being a problem.

Correct Answer: fix

Educational Standards

3-5-ETS1-3:Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Teaching Materials

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