Frugal Teacher Design Challenge 

 
Title:​ Question Lamp 
 
Grade Range:​ 1st-2nd  
 
Standards for Technological Literacy: 
● Standard 5: ​Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology 
on the environment. 
K-2 Benchmarks 
A) Some materials can be reused and/or recycled.  
 
● Standard 8: ​Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design. 
K·2 Benchmarks 
A) Everyone can design solutions to a problem. 
B) Design is a creative 
process.  
 
● Standard 10: ​Students will develop an understanding of the role of 
troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and 
experimentation in problem solving. 
K-2 Benchmarks 
A)​ ​Asking questions and making observations helps a person to figure out 
how things work. 
B) ​ ​All products and systems are subject to failure. Many products and 
systems, however, can be fixed.  
 
Content Standards:  
SCIENCE 
● 1-PS4-4 ​Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses 
light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance. 
● 1-ETS1-1​ Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about 
a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can 
be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.  
 ● 1-ETS1-2​ Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate 
how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given 
problem. 
ART 
● CR.1.2.1​ Formulate multiple solutions to an art or design problem through 
collaboration and brainstorming  
● CR.1.2.3​ Repurpose everyday objects into a work of art  
 
Big Ideas:  
 
Students will use the design process and work together as a team to create a 
silent solution to their classroom’s hand raising problem. Students will know how 
to work with electrical elements in order to produce a lamp that moves/spins. 
Students will understand how weight impacts the speed of the movement.  
 
Essential Question:  
 
Can you work with your table group to create a lamp that silently alerts your 
teacher whenever you have a question...without light bulbs? 
 
Scenario:  
 
Your class has tons of questions recently and your teacher just can’t keep up! 
What better way to help her than to create something quiet to alert her when 
you and your table mates have a question?! Your teacher intends for you to 
create table lamps, but when you go to make them you realize someone broke 
all of the light bulbs. How are you going to make it alert your teacher without the 
light bulbs?! 
 
Challenge: 
 
With your table mates, create a moving lamp to alert your teacher when you 
have a question. You can decorate it however you like! Your teacher would like 
it to be quiet and non-distracting. 
 
Tools, Materials, and Resources: 
 
● 1 motor per group 
● Plastic cups 
 ● Wooden dowels 
● Pom poms 
● Pipe cleaners 
● Washers 
● Wire hangers 
● Pennies 
● Popsicle sticks 
● Scissors 
● Hole punch 
● Hot glue gun 
● Hand drill 
● One wooden block per group 
 
Results/Deliverables: 
 
Each table group will submit one completed prototype of their decorated 
moving device. They will give a short 2-3 minute presentation to the class 
discussing the materials they used, and how they slowed the motor so the 
device doesn’t move all over the table. We will compare the movement of 
each table’s device, and discuss how different weights produced different 
movements. The devices will sit in the center of each table for the remainder of 
the year.  
 
Limitations/Parameters/Constraints: 
● Finish in the 3 day time limit 
● Must use the motor to move 
● Can only use listed materials, unless cleared by teacher 
● All table members must participate 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Evaluation:  
 
Lamp moves  _____ / 5 

Only used materials listed  _____ / 5 

Is quiet and non-distracting  _____ / 5 

Finished on time  _____ / 5 

BONUS! Lights up  _____ / 5 

  Total: _____ / 20