When you do STEM activities, are you constantly running out of time for students analyze their designs? Are you concerned they’re not developing their critical thinking and scientific analysis skills they way you’d like?

There are only so many minutes in the day though, right?!

I created the Real-World Design Analysis resource to solve the time crunch dilemma and provide dedicated time to focus on these deeper levels of scientific thinking.

With this activity, you’ll start your lesson with designs that are already complete and head straight into analyzing designs.

This gives students time to think, reflect, discuss and analyze — the very things that are often short-changed when we’re running low on time during STEM activities!

⭐ Included in This Resource ⭐

✅ Teacher Notes & Tips

• Real-World Design Ideas & Examples List
• Tips for Facilitating Design Analysis
• Handout Options Explained

✅ EDITABLE Student Handouts

• Design Analysis for One Design (Two handouts; do one or both)
• Design Analysis for Two Designs (Compare/Contrast)
• Design Analysis for Three Designs (Observe)
• Design Analysis for Up to Four Designs (Five handouts; select based on your students and available time)

Where do you get the designs to analyze?

• Use actual objects (a list is provided with inexpensive items, many of which you’ll likely already have on hand)
• Use online retailer’s websites to pull photographs and descriptions
• STEM elective teachers can even use completed student STEM Challenge designs from another class to start!

* More information is included inside the resource.

❤️ Ways to Use This Resource ❤️

• STEM Centers
• Sub days
• Choice boards
• Early finishers
• Homework