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Draw the Shape That Solves the Problem · Before you build, draw the shape of your idea so you can see if it will work. · K-2-ETS1-2

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Draw the Shape That Solves the Problem

with Atlas

Atlas the friendly fox stands at a bright wooden table, holding a big orange crayon and pointing to a drawing of a wide flat bridge that connects two tall stacks of blocks, showing how the shape must be long and flat to reach across the gap.

Explain that the shape of a drawing shows how an object will work.
Match a problem to a shape that can solve it.
Draw a simple shape and say what job that shape does.
Identify why changing a shape in a drawing is easier than fixing the built object.

Key terms

shape: the outline or form of an object that decides what it can do
drawing: a picture on paper that shows your idea before you build it
plan: a drawing that shows the shape you will build to solve a problem
gap: an open space between two things that something must reach across

Shape Decides What It Can Do

The shape of a thing decides what job it can do. A tall thin tower reaches up high, so it is good for holding a flag. A wide flat shape stretches across, so it is good for a bridge over a gap. A round shape rolls, so it is good for a wheel. If you pick the wrong shape, the job will not work. That is why engineers think carefully about shape before they build anything.

Why Drawing First Is Smart

Drawing your idea on paper first is a clever trick engineers use. On paper, you can look at the shape and ask if it will really do the job. If it is wrong, you fix it with one stroke of a crayon. But if you build the wrong shape first, fixing it means taking the whole thing apart. Drawing first lets you catch mistakes early, when they are quick and easy to change.

Worked examples

Mia needs to reach across a wide puddle. What shape should she draw, and why?

Name the problem: she must reach across a gap, not go up high.
Think about which shape stretches sideways across a gap.
Pick a long flat shape, because it can stretch from one side to the other.
Draw the long flat shape on paper and check that it reaches across.

Answer: Mia should draw a long flat shape, because a flat shape reaches across a gap while a tall shape only goes up.

Hi, I am Atlas! Today we are going to think like real engineers. Engineers have a problem, and they build something to solve it. But before they build, they draw. Here is the big idea: the SHAPE of what you build decides what it can DO. A tall thin tower holds a flag up high. A wide flat bridge reaches across a gap. If you pick the wrong shape, it will not work! That is why we draw first. When you draw the shape on paper, you can look at it and ask: will this shape do the job? You can change the shape on paper with just one stroke of your crayon. Changing a real built object takes a lot more work. So the plan is: think about the problem, draw a shape that could solve it, then build. If you feel stuck, try drawing a rectangle, a triangle, and a circle and ask yourself what each shape could do. Your drawing is your plan!

Activity

Put these engineering steps in the right order from first to last.

Practice

Draw two different shapes and write one job each shape could do.

Pick a problem like crossing a stream, then draw the shape that solves it.

Common mistakes to avoid

The shape does not matter as long as you build something.The shape decides what the object can do, so the wrong shape will not solve the problem.
You can just remember the plan in your head.Drawing the shape lets you spot problems and fix them on paper before you build.

Check your understanding

Mia wants to build something that reaches across a puddle. What should she draw first?

Why do engineers draw the shape of their idea before they build it?

Sam draws a tall thin shape for a bridge. He builds it, but it does not reach across. What should Sam do next time?

Recap

The shape of what you build decides what it can do, so engineers draw the shape first. On paper you can check if a shape will work and change it with one crayon stroke, which is much easier than fixing a built object. Think about the problem, draw a matching shape, then build.

Reflect

Why is it easier to change a shape on paper than after you build it?