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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 3 - 5

Engineering Derby: Tool Ingenuity

A photograph shows six youngsters in a classroom clustered around a board ramp from the table to the floor. One girl uses a wooden skewer to push a white Ping Pong ball down the ramp while a boy kneeling near the ramp bottom holds an envelope to catch the ball.A student team runs the engineering derby obstacle course.

Student teams are challenged to navigate a table tennis ball through a timed obstacle course using only the provided unconventional “tools.” Teams act as engineers by working through the steps of the engineering design process to complete the overall task with each group member responsible to accomplish one of the obstacle course challenges. Inspired by the engineers who helped the Apollo 13 astronauts through critical problems in space, students must be innovative with the provided supplies to use them as tools to move the ball through the obstacles as swiftly as possible. Groups are encouraged to communicate with each other to share vital information. The course and tool choices are easily customizable for varied age groups and/or difficulty levels. Pre/post assessment handouts, competition rules and judging rubric are provided.

Communication and teamwork are critical (and sometimes unappreciated) aspects of engineering. Not only must engineers work together in teams, they must also be able to fluidly work with diverse groups of people. This activity provides a scenario in which students act as engineers faced with multiple challenges and constraints to use teamwork and communication to complete an obstacle course before time runs out. Each group must think about how to efficiently spend its limited time, as well as brainstorm ways to use supplies as tools, much like time-limited engineers brainstorm and tinker as they work through the engineering design process. Teams are randomly assigned so students work with classmates they might not typically choose. Like engineers, students will not succeed in this activity if they are unwilling to work together or unable to clearly communicate their thoughts.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Communicate clearly with one another in a way that is effective and respectful.
  • Work as a team and be a team player.
  • Work creatively to find new “tool” uses for assorted supplies.
  • Abandon failed ideas and quickly learn from mistakes.

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