Island Castaway
8 to 10 Days
8 to 10 Days
Design Brief and Student Handout
General Overview
In this unit, middle school students engage in a practical design challenge where they must create a self-sufficient product to present to Tom Hanks, playing Charles "Chuck" Noland from Cast Away. They must consider the product's functionality without electricity, ensuring it fits within a 2 feet x 2 feet x 2 feet package for a plane drop. The unit emphasizes creativity, practicality, and teamwork, encouraging students to develop innovative solutions while addressing the unique challenges of survival on a deserted island.
Skills needed or developed for the unit
Critical thinking: Students will learn to analyze complex problems and constraints, developing creative solutions that meet specific criteria and address the challenges of survival on a deserted island.
Collaboration: Working in teams, students will enhance their collaborative skills, learning to communicate effectively, delegate tasks, and leverage diverse perspectives to create a cohesive and innovative product.
Practical problem-solving: Students will gain hands-on experience in identifying practical solutions within given limitations, considering the constraints of resources, size, and functionality for the product to be effective in a remote environment.
Presentation skills: Through the pitch presentation, students will refine their ability to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively, conveying the value and functionality of their product to a specific audience, emphasizing the significance of their design in aiding Chuck Noland's survival.
Adaptability: Given the challenging nature of the project,
students will develop adaptability skills by responding to the constraints and limitations, making necessary adjustments to their design, and demonstrating resilience in the face of unexpected obstacles during the development and presentation phases.
Goals of the unit:
The goal for this unit is to foster critical thinking, creativity, and practical problem-solving skills among middle school students. Through the design challenge, the aim is to encourage students to understand the significance of considering constraints, such as limited resources and power sources, while developing innovative solutions. Additionally, the unit seeks to promote collaboration and effective communication in teams, as well as to enhance students' abilities to present and pitch their ideas persuasively.
Design Challenge Vocabulary List – Middle School
This vocabulary list will help students engage in design challenges by enhancing their understanding of problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation.
Critical Thinking – The ability to analyze and evaluate information to make reasoned decisions.
Creativity – The ability to think outside the box and develop new, original ideas.
Problem-Solving – The process of identifying an issue and developing an effective solution.
Innovation – The process of improving existing ideas or creating new ones to solve problems.
Constraints – Limitations or restrictions that must be considered when designing a solution.
Resources – Materials, tools, or information available for use in a project or challenge.
Prototype – A preliminary model or version of a product used for testing and evaluation.
Engineering Design Process – A step-by-step approach used to solve problems and develop solutions.
Collaboration – Working together with others to achieve a common goal.
Teamwork – The ability to cooperate and communicate effectively in a group setting.
Effective Communication – Sharing ideas clearly and respectfully to ensure understanding among team members.
Presentation Skills – The ability to confidently share and explain ideas to an audience.
Pitch – A short, persuasive presentation of an idea or product.
Feedback – Constructive criticism or suggestions given to improve an idea or project.
Iteration – The process of making repeated changes and improvements to refine a design.
Brainstorming – A group discussion technique used to generate a variety of ideas.
Testing & Evaluation – The process of assessing a design to determine its effectiveness.
Adaptability – The ability to adjust and modify ideas in response to new challenges or feedback.
Persuasion – The skill of convincing others to support or adopt an idea.
Real-World Application – The relevance and usefulness of a concept or solution in everyday life.