Challenge 100 · Ages 10–16
Invent for Good
Design a solution to a community problem.
Recommended Guided Learning Time: 6 hours
Learners may require additional or fewer hours depending on age, prior experience, pace and the level of development they choose to take their project to.
Primary STEAM area
Engineering
The Challenge
What will your learner investigate?
Can you design a solution to a community problem. and explain the choices that make your solution effective?
Learning outcomes
- Define the design problem and identify useful constraints.
- Build or model a solution using an iterative engineering process.
- Test performance, analyse evidence and improve the design.
Connected learning
Design & Technology: human-centred problem solving; Citizenship: community needs; Mathematics: costing/data; English: pitching; Science/Computing: solution-dependent.
Dream Areas
Prepare for this Challenge
What you'll need
Here's what may be useful for completing this activity. Requirements may vary depending on the learner, activity format and equipment available.
Materials & consumables
- Community-problem brief
- interview-question template
- first model made to test an idea materials selected after defining the problem.
Equipment, tools & software
- Measuring tools
- sketchbook
- camera/tablet
- making tools suited to the selected first model made to test an idea.
Safety & preparation
- Seek consent for interviews/photos
- use fictionalised cases where necessary
- complete a risk assessment once the first model made to test an idea is chosen.
These preparation notes support planning and do not replace a project-specific risk assessment or appropriate adult supervision.