Transportation Design Briefs for the Elementary Grades

The Design Briefs were created by undergraduate students taking ITDPT 364, Technology Education for the Elementary Grades. They tested each design brief by teaching the problem-solving activity to a group of their peers. The students then re-wrote the design briefs. A few other briefs are by technology education graduate students, and by experienced teachers pursuing a degree or certification for teaching MIMH students. Most of these design briefs have been tested with children. All are categorized according to the Technology Education Curriculum for the State of Indiana. Page last updated April 20, 2000.

Drought

Design an irrigation system that will supply the people in the community with a sufficient amount of water. The water tower should be filled completely within a reasonable amount of time losing the littlest amount of water in transporting.

Wright Brothers

Children design an "airplane" out of scrap materials after reading stories of the Wright Brothers.

New Planets

Your group has been assigned to explore and map the planet. But your group has lost the vehicle that would allow you to explore the planet. You also do not have a place to live. All you have are some spare parts left on the ship

Alternate Transportation

Each group will be supplied with one mousetrap which will serve as the engine for their car design. The car should be designed to travel a minimum of fifteen feet and fit into the provided shoe box. Each car should have four wheels, axles, a frame and power transmission.

Getting the Pumpkin to the Contest

Even though transportation is a popular concept, we often neglect to teach the concept in the elementary grades. This activity will allow children to design and explain a mode of transportation without the use of motors. We introduce our problem solving activity by reading The Biggest Pumpkin Ever.

The Candyman

Your friend, escaped from Hansel and Gretel's old witch; however, the spell is still on your friend. He is in the form of a candyman and needs to cross the river in order to be safe from the wicked witch.

Egg in the Face

The Department of Transportation states the "because the use of automobiles results in a very substantial number of deaths and injuries to the general population, the problem of highway accidents is a public concern" Hundreds of thousands of people die or are injured in automobile accidents each year.

Grand Canyon

In groups of two, design a transportation system that will transport the "cargo" across the Grand Canyon. You will have specific limitations and the materials that you will be able to use. The object is to get the most cargo across the canyon in the fewest trips.

Cinderella

At a party, the prince met a lovely lady and danced with her the entire evening, yet never learned her name. The prince wants to visit this house, but does not know how to get there. This is where he needs your help. The prince would like you to create a map of the town. Then he needs you to write a set of directions, beginning at his mansion, explaining how to get to Cinderella's home, the house he has not yet visited.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Bottling Company ran out of money and they need land transportation vehicles to transport coke from Atlanta to Montana. Design and build a land vehicle that will be able to transport you and ten cases of Coca-Cola from Atlanta to Montana.

Quarry

Students are working for a rock quarry and have been put in charge of a project. They are transporting rocks across a river. Students must build a device that will transport the rocks across the river without sinking.

Lost

A man and a woman were on a hiking trip with a group of people and a tour guide. After a couple of hours of falling behind, they took a wrong turn and lost the group. After searching for hours, they realized they were stranded all alone. They could see a nearby village, but the only way to get there would be to build transportation out of the materials around them. Their only chance of survival is to cross the large body of water that surrounds the village.

Soap Box Derby

Paper Airplanes

Air travel has become as common as riding in a car; thousands of people travel this way each day. One hundred years ago, air travel had not been accomplished. Through a lot of work, trial and error, and human ingenuity we have made air travel a reality. Inventors had many problems with which to content. After these initial problems were solved the evolution of passenger planes brought forth new problems. How could a plane fight the force of gravity while carrying a heavier load?

Sailboat race

Boats are very important for several different reasons. Boats provide transportation of people and cargo, provide recreation, and are used in researching and catching aquatic life. They are also fun to race!

Rescue from the battlefield

The context of this project is on the Civil War and how soldiers worked together to protect each other. This was a problem during wars when soldiers were wounded and needed transportation off of the battle field.

Paper Airplanes

Jillian has been raising geese. It is now time for the geese to fly south for the winter. (Although most domestic geese are raised for the purpose of slaughter, Jillian considers these animals pets and would rather send them south for the winter than see them destroyed, as in the movie, Fly Away Home.) The geese will not fly south on their own and need to be somehow led. What can Jillian build to lead the geese south?

Honey, I shrunk the kids!

The students are accidentally shrunk to a size smaller than an ant by their father's shrinking machine. The family dog takes them outside, and they will now have to travel through the yard to get back to the house. In groups of three the students will have to find ways to live in a new environment that they are not familiar with. They are smaller than ants and they have to accustom themselves to survive at this small size while traveling in the foreign environment.

Sailing the Nile

You and your friends are on a safari in Egypt, for the summer. Along the way, you come upon the great Nile River. This poses a slight problem because there are not any boats left to get across the river. The nearby villagers are willing to donate supplies to help you continue with your expedition.

Escaping a fire

A fire can occur anytime, anywhere. Not only is it a good idea for you and your family to have a designated meeting place once you whave left the burning house, but for you to know how to escape from your bedroom. Already having an escape plan can help you in a very scary situation.

Humpty Dumpty III

Humpty Dumpty’s Great Grandson, Humpty Dumpty III shuddered as he read the story of his Great Grandfather's demise. Humpty Dumpty III (HDIII) loves to sit on the wall of the courtyard too, but now he is afraid. Even with all of our advanced medical technology, it would be impossible to assemble the shell of a broken egg.

Humpty Dumpty III

With the devastation of Humpty Dumpty’s death still fresh in their minds, all the King’s horses and all the King’s men, as well as friends of Humpty Dumpty, wanted to figure out a way to prevent other egg persons from falling off the wall.

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