Unit test · Weeks 13–18 · 30–35 min · 32 points

Science Unit 3 Test: Engineering Design & Testing

Name Date

Part 1: Identifying Problems

Sam wants to feed the birds in his yard. Answer these questions about his problem.

Sam may use only things from the recycling bin. That rule is a ____.criterionconstraintprototype
Sam's feeder must hold 1 cup of seeds and keep the seeds dry. These are the feeder's ____.criteriaconstraintsprototypes
Write one question Sam could ask to learn more about his problem.
An engineer designed the dustpan. What problem does a dustpan solve?

Part 2: Design & Build

Help Sam plan his feeder.

Design	Holds 1 cup of seeds	Keeps seeds dry	From the recycling bin	Number of yes
milk jug feeder	yes	yes	yes	3
paper cup feeder	yes	no	yes	2
glass jar feeder	yes	yes	no	2

Sketch one bird feeder design. Label at least 3 parts. Write the material next to each part.
Look at Sam's decision chart. Which design should he build? Why?

Part 3: Testing & Data

Sam built the milk jug feeder. He poured a cup of water over it to act like rain, then counted the spoons of water that got into the seeds. Then he added a bigger roof and tested again.

Test	Trial 1	Trial 2	Trial 3
Before: small roof	3 spoons	4 spoons	2 spoons
After: bigger roof	0 spoons	1 spoon	0 spoons

How many spoons of water got in, in all, before the change? How many in all after the change?
Did the bigger roof help? Use the numbers. Then tell why Sam tested three times and not just once.

Part 4: Comparing Solutions

Sam built a second feeder, Feeder B, an open tray with a roof. He tested both feeders the same way.

Test	Feeder A (milk jug)	Feeder B (tray)
Spoons of seed it holds	20	12
Spoons of water that got in (3 trials)	1	5
Birds that came in one hour	3	7

Circle the better number in each row of the table. (Hint: for water, fewer is better.) Which feeder won more rows?
Finish: A is better at ____. B is better at ____. Then draw or tell about a Design C that uses the best part of each.