Summary
Builds a homemade xylophone and tunes its notes. Watch the engineering design process in action — define the problem, imagine solutions, build a prototype, then test and improve it — and see how bar length changes pitch on a xylophone.
Viewer safety
All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about this young engineer's work:
- What problem did the inventor notice, and who does the solution help?
- How did they test their idea, and what did they learn — think about how bar length changes pitch on a xylophone.
- What problem in your own life could you solve with the engineering design process?
Quick work-a-long
Words to know: engineer, problem, prototype, iterate.
Try it:
- Name a problem you'd like to fix at home or at school.
- Sketch two designs that could solve it, then circle the one you'd build first.