Unit Plan 8 (Grade 1 Science): Engineering Light or Sound Devices

Focus: Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve a communication problem, then test and compare designs to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Engineering Design • Communication Systems)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students become engineers who solve a real classroom problem: how to send a message using light or sound patterns when you can’t talk face-to-face. Students explore simple ways people communicate with signals (flashlights, claps, drums, bells), then design and build a device that sends a clear message across the room.

Students follow an engineering routine—Ask → Imagine → Plan → Create → Test → Improve—and practice testing fairly by keeping the message and distance consistent while improving the design. The week ends with a “Signal Device Demo Day” where teams show their device, the pattern they used, and what they improved based on evidence.

Essential Questions

• How can we use light or sound to solve a communication problem?
• What makes a signal pattern clear and easy to understand?
• How can we test a design and use results to improve it?
• How can we compare two designs to describe strengths and weaknesses?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe a simple communication problem and what a good solution must do (1-PS4-4).
2. Create a signal system using light or sound patterns (e.g., 1 blink = yes, 2 blinks = no) and explain what it means.
3. Develop a simple sketch/drawing/model showing how the shape or parts of a device help it work (K-2-ETS1-2).
4. Test a device and record results using a simple success scale (worked / mostly worked / didn’t work) across multiple trials.
5. Compare results from two designs (or two versions of one design) to identify strengths and weaknesses and choose an improvement (K-2-ETS1-3).

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 (NGSS-Aligned)

• 1-PS4-4 — Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve a communication problem.
  • Example: Build a flashlight signal or sound signal device and use a pattern to send a message across the room.
• K-2-ETS1-2 — Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function to solve a problem.
  • Example: Draw the device and label parts that help the signal travel or be seen/heard.
• K-2-ETS1-3 — Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare strengths and weaknesses.
  • Example: Compare two signal devices (or two versions) to determine which is clearer, louder/brighter, or more reliable.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can explain the communication problem we are trying to solve.
• I can create a pattern using light or sound that means something.
• I can draw my design and label how the shape helps it work.
• I can test my device and record what happened.
• I can compare results and say what is strong about my design and what I want to improve.