Grades 2–5
Paper Marble Run
Build a marble run from paper and tape that makes the marble roll as slowly as it can, then improve it.
Science worksheet · Engineering design
Kinds of Engineers
Match six kinds of engineers to what they design, then tell which one you would like to be.
- Grade level
- Grades 3–5
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Topic
- Engineering design
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Engineering design, Building and testing, Teamwork
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Draw a line from each engineer to what they design.
- Which kind of engineer would you like to be? What would you design?
Teacher tip
Ask families to share what an engineer they know does.
How to use it
- Give each team the same materials and a time limit.
- Ask teams to sketch a plan before they touch the materials.
- Start with a two-minute “I notice, I wonder” talk about the picture on the sheet.
Watch for
Teams where one child builds and the rest watch. Give every child a job.
Talk about it
- What went wrong, and how did you fix it?
- How could we find out if that is true?
Take it further
Hold a gallery walk where teams explain their design.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More engineering design worksheets
Grades 2–4
The Engineering Design Process
Number the five steps engineers use, from ask to improve, then name a problem an engineer could solve.
Grades 3–5
Egg Drop Challenge
Plan, build and test a package that keeps an egg from breaking when it falls.
Grades 3–5
Craft Stick Catapult
Build a catapult from craft sticks and rubber bands, launch a pom-pom and measure how far it flies.
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