String on a Ring Activity

A model to the engineering design process

The Problem: You and your teammates are on a mission to be the first group to successfully carry a tennis ball across the room only holding the strings attached to the ring. Your team must reach the cup and drop the ball inside it without knocking it over. The first team to be successful wins!

Criteria: ● You may use any resources available to you (including each other!) ● You must use all of the materials provided: 4 strings, 1 ring, 1 tennis ball

Constraints: ● If the ball drops, your team must start over ● All team members must be touching the string at all times ● The tennis ball can only be touched by group members when putting the ball on the ring and taking it out of the cup

Brainstorm Possible Solutions: With your group list three DIFFERENT methods of approach including sketches.

Approach #1 Approach #2 Approach #3

Generate Ideas, Explore Possibilities, Select an Approach: ● As a team, discuss any additional ideas or strategies ● Select and approach

We choose approach #______

Build Your Prototype: ● Put together your “string on a ring” (model) ● Test your model - keep in mind the things that you would do to modify/change your design

Refine the Design: ● With your team, reflect upon what made your design successful or unsuccessful. What would make this activity more successful for you in the future? While testing this approach, what “on the spot” modifications did you make?