2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.7 What Is It? Page 1

Activity 1.7 What Is It?

Introduction
Engineering and design require creativity and the ability to problem solve. You must
be able to gather new information, continually learn, and apply what you know to
new situations. Engineers try to think outside the box in order to solve new
problems or find ways to improve current solutions. In this activity you will act as an
engineer and provide an explanation and evaluation of a product that you have
hypothetically designed.

Equipment
Engineering notebook
Pencil

Procedure
Assume that you are an engineer that has developed a preliminary design for an
important problem. Write and present an explanation and evaluation of your design.

Choose one of the designs represented in the four images presented by your
instructor (and reproduced below) as YOUR design.
Think about the object in the image and the problem that it may solve. Answer the
following questions. 1st image
What is it? Inexpensive, effective water filtration device. The Safety Well
What problem does it solve? It filters out solid particles, chlorinates Water,
then filters out water for an inexpensive, accessible, and effective water
filter.
What criteria were used to guide the design?Must be, at most, the size of
a silo cup. Must way no more than 1 pound. Must cost less than $20 to
manufacture. Must be easy to assemble and mass produce.
What are the most important features of the design? What features allow it
to perform its intended purpose? The gray, open part Filters put so,I'd p in
the water. There is a key pad to type in the amount of water being filtered.
When water enters device, chlorine is immediately added in comparison
with the amount of water and is spun for two minutes before being filtered
through an even stronger filter. The water is then dechlorinated and
filtered a third time into a water bottle.
How does your product affect society and the environment? My product
allows for people globally to have affordable, potable water. It is reusable
and uses as little resources as possible.
2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.7 What Is It? Page 2
Outline a five paragraph essay that explains your design and answers the questions
above. A five paragraph essay includes an introductory paragraph, a conclusion
paragraph, and three paragraphs in the body. Use the format below to outline
your essay. You must use at least one of the terms, invention or innovation,
within your essay to describe your design.



2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.7 What Is It? Page 3
Five Paragraph Essay Outline Form
Title: _______Safety Well_____________
I. Introduction
A. Introductory statement As Global Water Partnership
<http://www.gwp.org/Press-Room/Water-Statistics/> states, "1/3 of the
worlds population lacks sufficient access to safe drinking water and
sanitation to meet their basic needs," from
<http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/pdf/WWDR3_Water_in_
a_Changing_World.pdf>
B. Thesis statement: ____________________My filter, The Safety Well, will
help to solve the water crises.

II. Body
A. First Supporting Idea (Topic Sentence): ____________________The
lightweight metals and plastics allow for easy transportation and
distribution all around the world.
1. ____________________ Since the Safety Well does not require
any special equipment to distribute, it costs very little to distribute:
even to remote areas.
2. ____________________If a consumer wants to bring the Safety
Well with them on a trip, it is easy to fit in a small bag or suitcase.
3. ____________________ Also, since the distribution does not cost
a lot, it brings down the tax and product prices.
B. Second Supporting Idea (Topic Sentence): ____________________ The
materials are inexpensive which allows even the poorest countries and the
lower class to be able to afford the filter.
1. ____________________ The plastic costs less than one dollar per
one million pounds.
2. ____________________ The relatively little amount of metal in the
filter costs only $.95 per pound.
3. ____________________ The cost of the product is only five
American dollars.
C. Third Supporting Idea (Topic Sentence): ____________________ The
filter will allow for families to worry about things beside having clean water.
1. ____________________ The filter will allow more children,
particularly girls, to receive a education and learn about their rights.
2. ____________________It will keep disease form spreading and
decrease the amount of waterborne illnesses.
3. ____________________ It will also allow families not to spend as
much money on food because water helps a person feel full.

III. Conclusion
2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.7 What Is It? Page 4
A. Closing statement If families do not have to pay as much for potable
water, it will help the economy and will allow for families to grow closer
together
B. Restate thesis: ____________________
About the Author (sixth paragraph)
The thesis statement should identify the object or design and describe the problem
that the design solves, that is, the purpose of the design. The body paragraphs
should provide support for your thesis statement by describing three features of the
design and discussing how each feature helps solve the problem.

Using the outline you have created, write a five paragraph essay that explains your
design, the problem it solves, and its most important features.
Add a paragraph entitled About the Author to the end of your essay. In this additional
paragraph, describe your discipline of engineering and how knowledge from that
discipline helped you create your design and solve the problem.
Review and evaluate a classmates essay using the Activity 1.7 What Is It? Essay
Rubric.
Present a one minute elevator pitch to your class describing your design, the
problem it solves, and its most important features. An elevator pitch is an
expression describing a short presentation with the goal to communicate major
ideas and generate interest in your subject. The length of the presentation should
short enough to be completed in a typical elevator ride.
Conclusion
2. Why is it important for engineers to be creative and think outside the box?

What other characteristics do you believe engineers should possess in order to be
successful problem solvers?


Design Images:

2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.7 What Is It? Page 5













The Safety Well
2012 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Introduction to Engineering Design Activity 1.7 What Is It? Page 6
As Global Water Partnership <http://www.gwp.org/Press-Room/Water-
Statistics/> states, "1/3 of the worlds population lacks sufficient access to safe
drinking water and sanitation to meet their basic needs," from
<http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/wwdr3/pdf/WWDR3_Water_in_a_Cha
nging_World.pdf>. This is a major issue in our world right now, and it must
change. To help change this statistic, I wanted to come up with an innovation that
could be used throughout the world. To help my goal, I have created a water filter
that is easy to transport, costs little, and allows energy to be focused on other
issues. My filter, the Safety Well, will help to solve the water crises.
The lightweight metals and plastics used in the filter allow for easy transportation
and distribution all around the world. The cost to distribute the Safety Well is low, even
to remote locations, because it does not require any special equipment. If a consumer
wants to bring the Safety Well with them on a trip, it is easy to fit in a small bag or
suitcase. Also, since the distribution does not cost a lot, it brings down the tax and
product prices.
The materials in the filter are inexpensive, which allows even the poorest countries
and low-income families to be able to afford the filter. The cost of the product is only five
U.S. dollars. The plastic costs less than one dollar per one million pounds. The relatively
little amount of metal in the filter costs only $.95 per pound.
The filter will allow for families to worry about things beside having clean water.
The filter will allow more children, particularly girls, to receive a education and learn
about their rights because it prevents as much sickness. It will keep disease from
spreading and decrease the amount of waterborne illnesses. It will also help reduce the
amount of money families spend on food because water can help a person feel full.
If families do not have to pay as much for potable water, it will help the economy
and will allow for families to grow closer together. As the Safety Well helps to solve the
water crises, economies, families, schools, and nations will begin to thrive again.

About the Author:
I am an Environmental Engineer, a branch of Civil Engineering. My knowledge
as a Civil Engineer helped me to identify the issue of water quality and availability
around the world. It helped me to know which resources to use that would effectively
complete the task with as little cost as possible as many people who do not have
potable water live in poverty. If I had developed a filter that cost a lot of money, it would
have done nothing to help solve the water crises.