Texas TEKS 7.2.D

Science7th GradeScientific and engineering practices

The Standard

evaluate experimental and engineering designs.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students examine an investigation or prototype plan and decide whether it can answer the question or solve the problem. They check variables, controls, repeated trials, measurement methods, criteria, and constraints. They use evidence to identify weaknesses and recommend specific changes.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given two designs, a student can select the stronger one and support the choice with data and stated criteria. The student can spot an uncontrolled variable, weak measurement, or ignored constraint, then explain a practical revision.
Common Misconceptions: Students may call a design successful because it worked once or matched their prediction. They may change several variables at once, confuse a control with a constant, or judge a prototype only by appearance. Some suggest improvements without linking them to data, criteria, or constraints.
How to Assess It: A team claims its paper bridge is best after one trial, but each bridge used a different number of sheets. Ask students to name two flaws and write one revision for each.

Lesson moves

Teams build two index-card towers, test them under the same fan setting, and score each against height, cost, and stability criteria.
Present two water-filter test plans and ask students to write which is stronger, citing variables, repeated trials, criteria, and constraints.
Play Design Detective with flaw cards, where pairs identify the problem, explain its effect, and earn a point for a workable fix.
Compare two school lunch containers using leak resistance, cost, waste, and cleaning time, then recommend one to the cafeteria manager.

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