LESSON PLANS
Ship the Chip
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In this lesson, students learn how engineers develop packaging design requirements, and work in a team to evaluate the external stresses that engineers must consider when developing a package or product design. Students develop a plan, select materials, manufacture their package, test it, and evaluate their results.
Age Levels: 8 – 18
Required Materials
Alternative Materials
Materials
Process
What does a Packaging Engineer do? Get an inside look at what Packaging Engineers do. (Video 2:18)
Source: Design Squad Global YouTube Channel
Packaging you can eat? Yes, researchers are developing ways to reduce waste with edible packaging. (Video 2:02)
Source: American Chemical Society YouTube Channel
Design Challenge
You’re a team of manufacturing engineers given the challenge of designing the smallest, lightest package possible using everyday materials. The package should be designed to protect a single potato chip if it were to be shipped through a postal service.
Criteria
Constraints
Procedure
Student Reflection (engineering notebook)
The lesson can be done in as little as 1 class period for older students. However, to help students from feeling rushed and to ensure student success (especially for younger students), split the lesson into two periods giving students more time to brainstorm, test ideas and finalize their design. Conduct the testing and debrief in the next class period.
What do manufacturing engineers do?
Manufacturing engineers often work in teams. They will frequently meet with other engineers and others outside engineering to review the manufacturing process, goals, and current status. Manufacturing engineers may be involved in workforce planning and use, work flow, and the design and space planning for the manufacturing process. They may be involved in product planning, providing input into original product design — with an eye to what will be required to ultimately manufacture the product. Their expertise in production efficiency is helpful in product design, and packaging planning. Graduates with an accredited degree in engineering management may also be involved in packaging engineering. They work in most industries, particularly on larger projects or programs which require overarching organization and planning to ensure success. Engineering management students take courses such as accounting, finance, marketing, operations management, general management, strategic management, management of technology, industrial and quality engineering, and manufacturing and packaging engineering.
Packaging Options
Engineers often work with marketing, sales, and perhaps a creative department when recommending packaging requirement for a product. Good packaging must protect the product, eliminate any damage while moving, shipping, or storing the products, and also make the product attractive if it is to be displayed in a consumer environment such as a grocery store, hardware store, or department store. For this reason, packaging is a critical part of a product’s design and engineering process, and engineers must take many factors into consideration including appearance, function, and costs.
Material Selection
Engineers have to consider the durability, cost, and performance of different materials when designing products and the package they will ship or be displayed in. Many factors will help determine which materials to use, such as how long the package will be on the product, how fragile or expensive the product is, and whether exposure to temperature or humidity would impact the performance of the product.
Internet Connections
Recommended Reading
Writing Activity
Write an essay or a paragraph about a packaging design that you think could be improved to either reduce the amount of plastic or other materials used, or take up less space on store shelves.
Note: Lesson plans in this series are aligned to one or more of the following sets of standards:
CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities, all students should develop
CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science
As a result of the activities, all students should develop an understanding of
CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology
As a result of activities, all students should develop
CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of
CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science
As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of
CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities, all students should develop
CONTENT STANDARD B: Physical Science
As a result of their activities, all students should develop an understanding of
CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of
CONTENT STANDARD A: Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities, all students should develop
CONTENT STANDARD E: Science and Technology
As a result of activities, all students should develop
CONTENT STANDARD F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of
CONTENT STANDARD G: History and Nature of Science
As a result of activities, all students should develop understanding of
Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another
Problem Solving
Connections
The Nature of Technology
Design
Abilities for a Technological World
The Designed World
Engineering Teamwork and Planning
You are a team of manufacturing engineers given the challenge of designing the smallest, lightest package of all the engineering teams in your classroom that will protect a single potato chip shipped through the mail from a remote location to your school.
Planning and Design Phase
Each team has been provided with a set of materials. Review these as a group and draw your packaging design in the box below or use another page. Think about package strength, size, and weight as you design your package. You might want to consider how well your package will survive if it finds itself at the bottom of a stack of heavy boxes during shipping! There are also several rules you must follow, which your teacher will review with you so your package is not disqualified.
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Construction Phase
Build your package, and then complete the questions below:
1) How similar was your design to the actual package you built.
2) If you found you needed to make changes during the construction phase, describe why you made revisions.
Shipping Phase
Your teacher will devise a shipping system for all the packages created in your classroom.
Evaluation Phase
Once all packages have arrived at your school, you will work in teams to evaluate the packages.
Scoring
The following three measurements must be made for each incoming package:
100 Points: like new, perfect
50 Points: slightly damaged; cracked but still in one piece
10 Points: broken in 2-5 pieces
5 Points: broken in 6-20 pieces
1 Point: broken into more than 20 pieces; crumbled
Determine the overall score for each package to determine the top scoring “engineering team.” Use the following equation:
Intactness score (c)
Overall Score = _________________________
[mass in Kg (a) x volume in cc (b)]
Example: a. mass = 0.145 kg b. volume = 240 cc c. intactness score = 100
Overall Score: (c) 100 / [(a) 0.145 kg x (b) 240 cc] = 2.87
Make a chart to keep track of the packages for each engineering team in your class and see who has the best overall score.
Package ID # | Mass (KG) | Volume (CC) | Intactness Score | Overall Score |
Reflection
1) What aspect of the design of the package that had the best overall score do you think lead to its success?
2) If you had a chance to do this project again, what would your team have done differently?
Presentation
As a group, make a presentation to the class about what you learned during this activity.