HS-ETS1-2
The standard
Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
Next Generation Science Standards
What this standard means
Students need to take a messy real-world problem and split it into smaller parts engineers can work on. They should identify needs, limits, users, materials, costs, safety issues, and success criteria. Then they should turn those pieces into smaller design problems that can be tested or researched.
Mastery looks like a clear problem map, not a single vague solution. Students can explain which parts depend on each other and which can be solved first. They often get stuck by jumping to a favorite invention too soon, ignoring constraints, or making subproblems that are still too broad to act on.
Ways to teach it
- Hands-on activity: Give teams a broken school hallway traffic problem and have them build a sticky-note system map of causes, constraints, and subproblems.
- Writing prompt: Choose a local problem, then list five smaller engineering problems that must be solved before any full solution could work.
- Quick assessment: Show a proposed solution and ask students to name two missing constraints and three smaller problems it depends on.
- Real-world connection: Analyze how a city redesigns a dangerous intersection by separating lighting, crosswalk timing, signage, drainage, and driver visibility problems.
Plan a lesson for HS-ETS1-2
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Related standards
- MS-ETS1-1
Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific princ...
- HS-ETS1-4
Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions withi...
- 3-5-ETS1-1
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
- HS-ETS1-3
Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety...