Engineer a Coin Sorter
Students learn about the engineering design process and how it is used to engineer products for everyday use. Students individually brainstorm solutions for sorting coins and draw at least two design ideas. They work in small groups to combine ideas and build a coin sorter using common construction materials such as cardboard, tape, straws and fabric. Students test their coin sorters, make revisions and suggest ways to improve their designs. By designing, building, testing and improving coin sorters, students come to understand how the engineering design process is used to engineer products that benefit society.
What's the best coin sorter?Copyright 2004 Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved.
Engineers use the engineering design processes to create products we use daily. Everything from milk cartons to cars and toys were engineered using the steps of the engineering design process: ask, research, imagine, plan, create, test and improve.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain that the engineering design process is iterative and explain how it improves the final product.
- Explain that design is driven by function; form is secondary.
- Suggest areas of improvement for the product (coin sorter) they create.