Unit Plan 26 (Grade 6 Science): Engineering Weather Solutions
Design, test, and improve engineering solutions to reduce storm impacts or enhance forecasting using data, fair tests, and iterative models.
Focus: Design and compare engineering solutions that reduce weather/storm impacts (e.g., wind, flooding, lightning, hail) or improve forecasting/communication, using systematic testing, data analysis, and iteration.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science — Weather & Climate; Engineering Design)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students act as weather engineers, applying what they know about weather data, air masses, and circulation to design solutions that reduce storm risks or improve warnings/forecasts. Working through a design cycle, they plan, build, test, and refine simple prototypes (e.g., flood barriers for a model town, wind-resistant structures, low-tech warning systems). They evaluate competing designs using criteria, constraints, and data, aligned with MS-ETS1-2–4.
Essential Questions
- How can engineering help reduce the impacts of storms and severe weather on people and communities?
- What makes one design solution better than another when they both “work”?
- How can we collect and use test data to compare designs and decide which one best meets the criteria and constraints?
- Why is it important for engineers to build models, test repeatedly, and improve designs rather than stopping after the first idea?
- How could students contribute to safer communities through simple weather-related engineering ideas?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Explain a weather-related problem (e.g., flooding, high winds, hail damage, poor warning systems) and identify criteria and constraints for a possible solution.
- Brainstorm and sketch at least two design ideas, then select one to prototype based on how well it might meet the criteria.
- Plan and carry out fair tests of their prototypes (e.g., controlled water flow, fan-generated wind, simulated hail), collecting quantitative or qualitative data.
- Analyze and compare data from multiple trials and/or designs to determine which solution performs best and why.
- Develop or refine a model (diagram, labeled prototype, or digital/physical mock-up) that helps generate data and guides iterative improvements, aligned with MS-ETS1-2–4.
Standards Alignment — 6th Grade (NGSS-based custom)
- MS-ETS1-2 — Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
- In this unit: students compare multiple weather-related designs using test data and scoring/checklists.
- MS-ETS1-3 — Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions.
- In this unit: students use trial results to judge which designs best reduce impacts or improve forecasting/communication.
- MS-ETS1-4 — Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and improvements of a proposed object or tool.
- In this unit: students build and refine prototypes/models, using each round of data to improve the design.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can describe a weather-related problem and list criteria (what my solution must do) and constraints (limits such as time, materials).
- I can sketch and build a prototype to reduce storm impacts or improve warnings/forecasting.
- I can test my design in a fair way and record data about how well it works.
- I can use my data to compare designs and explain which one best meets the criteria.
- I can improve my design using a model and test results, and explain what changed and why.