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Sports Physics 6-8 / Week 12 / Game Day
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Week 12 · Design a Landing Pad

Game Day

Game Day: Family design review
// Criteria, constraints, build, test, improve
⏱ about 20 min

Game Day: Family Design Review

Saturday morning, the landing pad sits in the middle of the patio with the Field Log open beside it.

"Design review," Raven announces. "Everyone looks, everyone asks one question, everyone suggests one change."

Rocket drops the ball from the tape mark. It lands with a soft thump and stays put. A little cheer goes up.

"Why a towel rim?" someone asks. "To keep the ball on the pad," Rocket says. "That was my third criterion."

Nova hovers over the Field Log. "What do you notice about the questions?" she asks Raven quietly.

"They are all about the criteria," Raven says. "That means we defined the problem well."

Rocket picks the family's favorite change and reaches for the tape. "One more iteration. Then the report is done."

  1. Engineers define a problem with criteria (measurable goals) and constraints (limits) before they build.
  2. A fair test fixes everything but one thing, runs a baseline and repeats each trial.
  3. The force pair in a collision is always equal. A pad cannot change it, but it can make the stop take longer.
  4. A longer stop means a gentler push. Motion energy goes into the pad as warmth and sound.
  5. Test, change one thing, test again. Each iteration makes the design better, and the report tells the story.
◇ FAMILY DESIGN REVIEW
Show your pad and read your criteria aloud. Run one drop and one roll so everyone sees the test.
Each family member asks one question and suggests one change. Write them all in the Field Log.
Pick one suggested change together. Predict what it will do, make the change and run the fair test again, three trials each.
Compare the new numbers with your best so far. Decide together: keep the change or go back?
For a grown-up
Drops stay at the student's standing reach, and the toy car rolls on the floor away from stairs. A grown-up does any cutting.
The best review questions ask about the criteria: how high, how far, how many drops did it survive.
The engineering steps follow the Next Generation Science Standards. The force facts come from NASA Glenn and a college physics text at libretexts.org.
Safety first
Drop only from standing reach. Never climb anything to drop.
Soft balls only. Nothing is thrown. Keep the area clear of younger children's hands and feet during drops.
Stop if anyone is hurt or tired.
THINK IT THROUGH
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
A family member suggests making the pad thicker and wider at the same time. What should you do?
The new change made the bounce slightly higher. What is the engineering move?
Game Day checkTrue or false?
Good review questions ask about the criteria.?
A design review means the design was bad.?
After the review, the fair test stays exactly the same.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEA review is how engineers borrow other people's eyes without losing their fair test.
Draw your final landing pad and label the one change your family chose.
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