Unit Plan 8 (Grade 6 Science): Engineering Space Missions
Grade 6 unit where students define space mission design problems, set criteria and constraints, brainstorm solutions, and evaluate designs for feasibility.
Focus: Define and refine an engineering challenge related to space exploration or observation, establishing clear criteria and constraints and evaluating competing design solutions for feasibility and effectiveness.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Science (Engineering Design • Earth & Space Science Context)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students act as space mission engineers. They explore real-world space exploration and observation challenges (e.g., landing safely on another world, protecting instruments from extreme temperatures, collecting data from far away). Working in teams, they define a design problem with specific criteria (what the design must do) and constraints (limits such as time, materials, or safety). They then brainstorm, sketch, and compare possible solutions using a simple, systematic process, building foundations for MS-ETS1-1 and MS-ETS1-2.
Essential Questions
- What makes a good engineering problem for a space mission—and how do we define clear criteria and constraints?
- How can we design solutions to help us explore or observe space more safely and effectively?
- Why is it important to compare and evaluate multiple design ideas instead of choosing the first one we think of?
- How can we use a systematic process (e.g., scoring or decision matrix) to decide which design best meets the criteria and constraints?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe what an engineering design problem is and identify the criteria and constraints for a space-related challenge (e.g., landing, data collection, protection from heat/cold).
- Work in teams to define a specific space mission problem (e.g., protect a lander, aim a telescope, deliver a probe) with clear, measurable criteria and realistic constraints.
- Generate multiple design ideas, using sketches, labels, and brief notes to communicate how each idea addresses the problem.
- Use a simple, systematic evaluation process (e.g., scoring rubric, decision matrix) to compare at least two design ideas against the criteria and constraints.
- Select and justify a recommended solution, explaining how it best meets the design criteria within the constraints, and reflect on possible improvements.
Standards Alignment — 6th Grade (NGSS-based custom)
- MS-ETS1-1 — Define design problems with sufficient criteria and constraints to ensure successful solutions.
- In this unit: students define a space mission challenge and specify what the solution must do and what limits it must work within.
- MS-ETS1-2 — Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints.
- In this unit: students create simple evaluation tools (e.g., scoring charts) to compare and rank design ideas.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can explain what a design problem is and list the criteria and constraints for our space mission challenge.
- I can help my team brainstorm and sketch more than one possible solution to our design problem.
- I can use a scoring system or chart to compare different design ideas and decide which one is better.
- I can clearly explain why our chosen design fits the criteria and constraints better than the others.
- I can suggest at least one way to improve our solution if we had more time or resources.