Assembly Line

1. This lesson demonstrates the power of mass production. The first activity is done individually. For the second activity, break class into teams of 2-4.

Process: Activity 1

Start timer counting up, as you instruct students to begin building their brick. Record the name and time as each student completes their brick. 

Process: Activity 2 

Set a countdown timer for 10 minutes.
Record how many bricks each team completes.

2. Hand out the Assemble One Color Brick and Assembly Line Design Challenge worksheets, as well as some sheets of paper for sketching designs.
3. Discuss the topics presented in the Introduce section.
4. Review the engineering design process, design challenge, criteria, constraints and materials. Be sure to thoroughly review the “Criteria for Quality Control” and other design criteria outlined in the Assemble One Color Brick and Assembly Line Design Challenge worksheets (8 pages).
5. Before instructing students to start brainstorming and sketching their designs, ask them to consider the following:

• • How to keep quality control, while maintaining efficiency
  • What order or sequence do your steps need to be in to make the brick?
  • The number of people on your team and the number of tasks that need to be completed
  • The differences between assembling a product individually versus with an assembly line

6. Provide each student with their materials for activity 1. Then, provide each team with their materials for activity 2.
7. For Activity 1: Explain that students must build a brick as quickly as possible using the quality control criteria. For Activity 2: Explain that student teams must build an assembly line from everyday items. Using the assembly line students build as many blocks as possible within 10 minutes using the quality control criteria.
8. Announce the amount of time they have to design and build (1 hour recommended).
9. Use a timer or an on-line stopwatch (count down feature) to ensure you keep on time. (www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch). Give students regular “time checks” so they stay on task. If they are struggling, ask questions that will lead them to a solution quicker.
10. Students meet and develop a plan for their assembly line. They agree on materials they will need, write/draw their plan, and present their plan to the class. Teams may trade unlimited materials with other teams to develop their ideal parts list.
11. Teams build their designs.
12. Test the assembly line designs by setting a countdown timer for 10 minutes and recording how many bricks each team completes.
13. Teams should document the number of bricks they completed.

As a class, discuss outcomes. If necessary, direct the conversation with the following questions:

1. Was the order of your assembly line tasks successful? If not, why?
2. Did you have enough people in your assembly line to have experts in one task? If not, how would it have changed your assembly line if you had more people?
3. Did your group meet the quality control criteria? If not, why?
4. Was it hard to go fast and still meet the quality control criteria? What would it take to improve?
5. What are the benefits of the assembly-line method when compared to assembling a product individually?

National Science Education Standards Grades K–4 (ages 4–9)

Content Standard E: Science and Technology  

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans  

Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Science as a human endeavor

History of science

National Science Education Standards Grades 5–8 (ages 10–14)

Content Standard E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities, all students should develop. 

Abilities of technological design 

Understandings about science and technology

Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science 

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of 

Science as a human endeavor  

History of science

National Science Education Standards Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)

Content Standard E: Science and Technology

As a result of activities, all students should develop

Abilities of technological design

Understandings about science and technology

Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science

As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of

Historical perspectives

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-11)

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

3-5-ETS1-1.Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2.Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-11)

Engineering Design

3-5-ETS1-3.Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Next Generation Science Standards Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-14)

Engineering Design

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Standards for Technological Literacy – All Ages

Technology and Society

Standard 7: Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history. 

Design

Standard 10: Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.