FIRST® at Home

Mechanical Device

ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Students use the engineering design process to create a mechanical device.
Age Range & Grade Level: Ages 9+, Grade 4+
Program Connection: FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge
Authored By: Tammy Pankey, Manager of Curriculum Development, FIRST® Education

ACTIVITY OUTCOMES
Participants will:
1. Produce a design solution to a unique mechanical problem.
2. Build a functional mechanical device, which will solve a unique real-world problem.
3. Modify a mechanical device to improve the design solution.

RELEVANCE MATRIX – Subject Area Crosswalks and Core Values Addressed

Science Math Literacy Social Studies Computer Science
Cause and effect
Simple machines Interpret data Sentence usage Pseudocode
relationships
Discovery Innovation Impact Inclusion Teamwork

FUN! Our last Core Value should always be used when doing any FIRST activities.

KEY VOCABULARY
Simple Machines Problem Solving Brainstorming

Engineering Design Process Complex Machines Solution

MATERIALS & SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR THIS ACTIVITY

Mechanical Device Design Brief, materials to build gravity car (LEGO® set or materials around home)
 GUIDANCE SET-UP
Description – Action – Guidance Notes
The design brief document starts on page 4.
Provide students with the design brief.

Review the problem statement and criteria/constraints with the

Review the age appropriate engineering design
students. Remind students they will be using the engineering design
process with your students.
process to work towards a solution.
Determine how students will complete the activity, what their length Solutions can be built and designed using LEGO
of time will be, how to collaborate virtually and how to share their elements or materials around the house.
solutions. Have students work on their solutions. Students could submit pictures or videos of their
designs.
Review Evidence of Achievement rubric (on next page) and create
Sample rubric provided.
assessments if needed.
Explore the Go Further! Opportunities See below
Wrap up – Have students complete their Core Values Self- Core Values Self-Reflection is found in the
Reflection and review. student design brief document.

STUDENT OR TEAM ACTIONS

1. Review the Mechanical Device Design Brief and problem statement.
2. Research the questions and discuss.
3. Brainstorm ideas.
4. Generate a rough sketch of your mechanical device.
5. Create a mechanical device solution to solve the challenge presented in the problem statement.
(If students are completing at home, they could recruit a sibling, parent or guardian to do activity with them.)
6. Determine your testing and observation methods. Analyze your results after testing.
7. Iterate on your design and make improvements. Test again.
8. Generate a sketch that shows the mechanical device that you created.
9. Share your solution and reflect on your learning.
10. Explore the Go Further! opportunities.
11. Complete your Core Values Self-Reflection.

GO FURTHER!
Career Connections: Choose a career from the list below, research the career and complete the
following questions.

What types of activities do people in this career do in their job?

What education or training is needed to be eligible for this career?
What are the STEM connections to this type of career?
What is the average yearly salary for this type of job?
Where do people who do this job work (companies)?

Welder Machinist Mechanical Engineer Quality Control

Inspector
Material Scientist Electrical Engineer Architect Biotechnology
Engineer
EVIDENCE OF ACHIEVEMENT

Evaluation Rubric

Category 3 points 2 points 1 point

All requirements on the Some of the requirements Only a few requirements on

Requirements on the design brief were
design brief were met. the design brief were met.
met.

Clearly showed how the

Showed how the solution Not clear how the solution
Design solution solved the
would solve the challenge. would solve the challenge.
challenge.

Demonstrated collaboration
by sharing information Shared some information or Respect and inclusion
Collaboration
or working with team with team members. being developed.
members.

All the questions are All the questions are The questions are not
Knowledge Gained answered but could have
answered completely. answered.
more detail.

FIRST is a global robotics community that prepares young people for the future.
www.firstinspires.org
 FIRST® at Home
Mechanical Device
Design Brief

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Design, build, and test a mechanical device.

CRITERIA & CONSTRAINTS

• The mechanical device must solve one of the problems on the Unique Problem List.
• You must have your Unique Problem approved by your teacher.
• After you assemble your mechanical device, test it and record your observations if the devices
solve the problem.
• Revise your mechanical device to improve the solution to the problem.
• Use the materials specified by the teacher or adult facilitating this activity.

ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS & FIRST® CORE VALUES

FIRST® Engineering Design Process | Explore FIRST Core Values

BUILDING THE BACKGROUND

Reflect, research, and answer the questions below.
1. What forces act on a roller coaster?

2. What different materials are used to build roller coasters?

3. What technological advances and innovative designs have there been in roller coasters?

4. What is the history of roller coasters?

ACTIVITY STEPS
1. Choose your Unique Problem to create your mechanical device solution for. Check with your
teacher or adult on your selection.
2. Brainstorm your ideas for your mechanical device solution.
3. Generate a rough sketch of your mechanical device. Include how the device will look,
approximate dimensions (size), materials used and other important information about the design.

4. Create a 3-D model of your design using a computer-aided design (CAD) software. Remember to
follow the design criteria and constraints! Here are some free CAD resources:
• SolidWorks Apps for Kids https://beta.swappsforkids.com/#/
• Autodesk Tinkercad https://www.tinkercad.com/
5. Pseudocode
6. Create your solution.
7. Code
8. Determine your testing and observation methods. Analyze your results after testing.
9. Iterate on your design and make improvements. Test again.
10. Generate another sketch with the modifications you made to your mechanical device.

11. Create a business pitch of your solution. Explain how and why you choose your design for your
mechanical device. Explain how you went through the engineering design process. Show your
drawing, 3-D design, pseudocode or code, and your solution. Use the space to write notes for
what to cover in your pitch.
Engineering A Problem – Unique Problem List
Unique Problem 1 Unique Problem 2

You must design a bridge that will span a On a construction site materials are often
river. The traffic on the river requires that difficult to move. Build a mechanical
the bridge must lift up to allow the shipping device, which can lift materials from one
traffic to move through. It must use the location and place it in another location.
strength of the riverbank but is may not Only the mechanical device may be used
have supports on the river. to hold or move the object.

Unique Problem 3 Unique Problem 4

Elevators have enabled handicapped In an assembly line products do not

people to easily move up and down always move in a straight line. Design a
floors of a building without any device, which is capable of moving the
assistance. Design a tall tower with an an object in one-direction and then 90
elevator capable of lifting from the degrees to the first direction. The device
bottom vertically up to the top. must not drop or allow the object to get
stuck.

Unique Problem 5 Unique Problem 6

Build a mechanical device, which can Cooks in the kitchen often have to mix a
open a garage door. The garage door variety of ingredients together. Build a
must open wide enough for the car to mechanical device, which will
enter. The car will be simulated by toy automatically mix the ingredients without
car or scale model. human assistance.

Unique Problem 7 Unique Problem 8

People in hospital beds often need to Design an amusement park ride which is
have there head or feet elevated. Build capable of moving people in a
a mechanical device, which will raise the continuous motion…stop and move in
head up by just pushing a button. the opposite direction.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. How did the engineering design process help you solve this problem?

2. What were the benefits of sketching and brainstorming before creating the 3D model of your design?

3. What unique problem did you choose to solve and why?

4. How did using coding make your device more efficient or user friendly?

5. How did your business pitch reflect the design of your device?

GO FURTHER!
Career Connections: Choose a career from the list below, research the career and complete the
following questions.

1. What types of activities do people in this career do in their job?

2. What education or training is needed to be eligible for this career?
3. What are the STEM connections to this type of career?
4. What is the average yearly salary for this type of job?
5. Where do people who do this job work (companies)?

Welder Machinist Mechanical Engineer Quality Control

Inspector
Material Scientist Electrical Engineer Architect Biotechnology
Engineer
CORE VALUES SELF-REFLECTION

Amazing Skill Great Job Making Progress Could Be Better

I approached the tasks I approached the tasks

looking for all possible and asked questions I approached tasks
I depended on others to
answers independently from one other person but needed assistance
Discover make the discovery for
and used perseverance but persevered to multiple times to reach a
me.
to discover the answer discover the answer on point of discovery.
on my own. my own.
I struggled with being
I used creativity and I used creativity and
creative and only used
perseverance to solve perseverance to solve I used creativity
the information given
problems on my own, problems on my own but struggled with
Innovation and needed a lot of
coming up with unique coming up with different perseverance to solve
encouragement from
solutions for the tasks I solutions for the tasks I problems on my own.
others to complete the
was given. was given.
task.
I approached the tasks
applying understanding I approached the tasks I understand the tasks I understand the tasks
of the information with knowing and applying but struggle to apply but did not approach it
Impact the impact it can have the information with how it will help me in with understanding the
on me and my future as impact it can have on my future or to influence impact it can have on
well as how I could help me and my future. others. my future or others.
others.
I approached all
I approached most I did not approach
tasks with inclusion of I approached some
with inclusion of tasks with inclusion of
others’ ideas, I showed tasks with inclusion of
others’ ideas, I tried others’ ideas, I tried
tremendous kindness others’ ideas, I tried
to understand others’ to understand others’
by including others’ to understand others’
Inclusion views and include them views and include them
views in my projects and views and include them
in my projects and work. in my projects and
work. I approached my in my projects and work.
My solution mostly work. My solution is not
solution thinking how all My solution meets only
incorporates needs of inclusive of different
people would interact a few needs of others.
others. types of people.
with the solution.
I only sometimes
I used collaboration, I used collaboration, I used collaboration,
used collaboration,
communication and communication and communication and
communication and
project management project management project management
Teamwork project management
to get all tasks to get most tasks to get some tasks
and accomplished a few
accomplished for myself accomplished for myself accomplished for myself
tasks for myself as well
as well as the others. as well as the others. as well as the others.
as the others.
I kept a positive attitude
throughout and found I kept a positive attitude
I saw the enjoyment I only saw struggle in
opportunities to have throughout and found
and fun after the activity completing my tasks
Fun fun even through opportunities to have
but struggled to see it and did not look for
struggle. I looked for fun even through
during. times to have fun.
additional opportunities struggle.
to have fun in my tasks.

FIRST is a global robotics community that prepares young people for the future.
www.firstinspires.org