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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 9 - 12

Reverse Engineering Project: Disassemble, Sketch & Recap

Student pairs reverse engineer objects of their choice, learning what it takes to be an engineer. Groups each make a proposal, create a team work contract, use tools to disassemble a device, and sketch and document their full understanding of how it works. They compile what they learned into a manual and write-up that summarizes the object's purpose, bill of materials and operation procedure with orthographic and isometric sketches. Then they apply some of the steps of the engineering design process to come up with ideas for how the product or device could be improved for the benefit of the end user, manufacturer and/or environment. They describe and sketch their ideas for re-imagined designs (no prototyping or testing is done). To conclude, teams compile full reports and then recap their reverse engineering projects and investigation discoveries in brief class presentations. A PowerPoint® presentation, written report and oral presentation rubrics, and peer evaluation form are provided.

Under a headline that says "Flashlight Manual," a pencil sketch shows the long side view of a handheld flashlight. Some additional text: How the flashlight works. A flashlight is powered by batteries. They provide an electrical current that flows through metal contacts and brings electricity to the lamp in the flashlight. A thin wire in the light bulb is connected to the batteries.The first page of a student team's manual shows a drawing of a flashlight.

One of the best ways to understand a product or device is through reverse engineering—it's a hands-on way to satisfy one's curiosity about what's inside a product and how it works, or to fix a device when instructions are lost or unclear. Reverse engineering is often part of the engineering design process—used to make imitation products or innovate improvements. Reverse engineering cultivates many skills that are important in engineering, including teamwork, tool usage, communication (writing a manual and report, creating graphic images, giving oral presentation), sketching and coming up with design improvements.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Write a basic proposal.
  • Write a team contract and prepare a bill of materials.
  • Use the reverse engineering process to understand how a device works.
  • Write a manual that explains how to put together a device.
  • Apply the engineering design process to improve a device design.
  • Give a presentation to summarize a long, multi-faceted project.

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