Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
ENGINEERING DESIGN
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ENGINEERING DESIGN
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Subject: Engineering
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 9
Grade code: 1.3.1.LI.3
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 1.3.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.3.1.LI.3
Theme: SYSTEMS DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING
Subtheme: ENGINEERING DESIGN
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Welcome, future engineers! Today, we are taking the very first, and most important, step in solving any engineering problem: asking the right questions. Think about any challenge in our communities – from managing plastic waste in Accra to preventing post-harvest losses for our farmers in the Ashanti Region. Before we can build a solution, we must first understand the problem deeply. This lesson will teach you how to move from a general problem statement to a set of specific, powerful research questions that will guide your entire design process. Mastering this skill is what separates a good idea from a successful, real-world solution.
A. What is the Engineering Design Process?
The Engineering Design Process is a series of steps that engineers follow to find solutions to problems. It is an iterative process, meaning engineers often have to go back and repeat steps. While there are many versions, a simple one looks like this: DEFINE the Problem: What is the actual issue we need to solve? RESEARCH and gather information: This is where we ask our questions! BRAINSTORM and Imagine Solutions: Come up with many different ideas. PLAN and Select a Promising Solution: Choose the best idea and plan how to build it. CREATE a Prototype: Build a model of your solution. TEST and Evaluate: See if the prototype works. IMPROVE and Redesign: Make changes based on your tests.
Today, we are focusing on Step 2, which is driven by Research Questions. B. The Problem Statement
Everything begins with a clear problem. A problem statement is a concise description of an issue to be addressed. Example Problem Statement: "During the rainy season in our school, the open courtyard between the classroom blocks and the library becomes flooded, preventing students and teachers from accessing the library without getting wet and muddy." C. What are Research Questions?