Engineering Design Process: Imagine

Students will have multiple design options to choose from as they plan with their partners. Because students have multiple design options, they are more likely to find common design features between their designs and their partner’s designs from which to build their plan. They can use the designs they did not choose for this planning to spark ideas when they need to improve.

Not all students process information at the same speed. Some students will need more time than others to generate their ideas. Asking them to plan alone allows for all students to have the opportunity to document their ideas before discussing with peers. Some students are hesitant to share their ideas with others. By asking all students to document their thinking before talking, the teacher can use their drawings to help them collaborate with their peers, such as saying, “I see Taylor has a different idea, have you talked about that idea as a group?”