Summary
Teaches students to think like engineers by generating multiple possible solutions to a problem and exploring how 'what-if' questioning during brainstorming leads to better designs.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- Why is brainstorming multiple solutions better than jumping straight to one answer?
- What does asking 'what if…?' help an engineer think about?
- Can a 'bad' idea during brainstorming ever lead to a great solution? How?
- What are some ways to judge which brainstormed idea is worth trying first?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: brainstorm, what-if, solution, idea, generate, compare, evaluate.
Try it: Give students a challenge (e.g., 'keep an ice cube from melting for 10 minutes'). Set a timer for two minutes and generate as many what-if solutions as possible without judging any. Then vote on the top two to test.