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Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Engineering Design

Explain how the shape helps the solution work.

Shapes help us build things that solve problems every day!

Explore the lesson 7 min read
A microscope with leaf and experiment flask for elementary science discovery
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 4 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do Shapes Matter?

People have used shapes to solve problems for a very long time. A shape is what something looks like on the outside.

Think about a ball. It is round! That round shape helps it roll. If a ball were square, it would not roll well at all.

Long Ago • Round Wheels

People made round wheels to move heavy things. The circle shape helps wheels roll!

Long Ago • Pointed Tools

People made pointed tools to dig in dirt. The pointy shape pushed into the ground.

Long Ago • Curved Bowls

People made curved bowls to hold soup. The curved shape keeps food inside!

Today • Shapes Everywhere

Today we still pick shapes that help things work. Engineers choose shapes on purpose!

Here is our big question: How does the shape of something help it work? Let's find out together!

SECTION 2

Big Ideas About Shape

An engineer is a person who designs things to solve problems. That means they figure out how to make things work! Engineers think about shape a lot.

1

Shape Has a Job

Every shape does something special. A round shape rolls. A flat shape stacks. The shape helps do the job!
2

Shape Solves a Problem

When we pick a shape, we pick it for a reason. We ask: what shape will help fix this problem?
3

We Can Explain Why

We can tell someone why the shape helps. We use words to say how the shape makes the solution work.
4

Shapes Can Be Changed

If a shape does not work well, we can try a different shape. This is what engineers do!
✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about your shoes. They are shaped to fit your feet! If shoes were shaped like boxes, they would hurt. The shape of the shoe helps it work for your feet. Shapes are picked to help things do their job!

SECTION 3

See How Shapes Help

Let's look at our anchoring phenomenon. That means a real thing we can observe and wonder about!

Imagine you need to scoop water out of a bucket. What shape of tool would you use? Let's look at different shapes and see which one works best!

Which Shape Scoops Water Best?Flat ShapeWater slides off!no water stays✗Curved ShapeHolds some water!△Deep Cup ShapeHolds lots of water!✓The deep cup shape works best becauseit holds water inside on all sides!Shape → Helps the Solution Work!
Look at the three tools. The flat shape cannot hold water. The curved shape holds a little. The deep cup shape holds the most! The shape helps solve the scooping problem.

The deep cup shape is the best for scooping water. It has sides that go up. The water stays inside! We can explain that the cup shape works because it holds water in.

SECTION 4

How Shapes Do Their Jobs

Different shapes do different jobs. Let's think about why!

Round Shapes Roll

A round shape has no corners. That means it can roll smoothly. A ball rolls across the floor because it is round.

Flat Shapes Stack

A flat shape sits still. That means you can stack things on top. Blocks stack because they are flat on top and bottom.

Pointy Shapes Poke

A pointy shape pushes into things. That means it can poke a hole. A fork has pointy tips to pick up food.

Curved Shapes Hold

A curved shape wraps around things. That means it can hold stuff inside. A bowl is curved to hold your cereal!

💡

Think Like an Engineer!

When you see something, ask: What shape is it? Then ask: How does that shape help it work? You are thinking like an engineer!

SECTION 5

Matching Shapes to Problems

Let's see how real things use shapes to work. We will match the shape to the job it does!

Shape ➜ Job ➜ Why It WorksWheelRound shapeRolls to move thingsBlockFlat square shapeStacks to build tallRampTriangle shapeSlides things upSpoonCurved shapeScoops up foodNailPointy shapePokes into woodEggOval shapeKeeps baby bird safeEach shape was picked because it helps solve a problem!
Each thing has a special shape. The wheel is round to roll. The block is flat to stack. The spoon is curved to scoop. Each shape helps!

Can you see the pattern? Every shape was chosen to help solve a problem. When we explain how the shape helps, we say what the shape does and why that helps.

SECTION 6

Let's Explain Together!

Let's practice explaining how a shape helps a solution work. We will talk about an umbrella!

How Does the Umbrella Shape Help?

  1. 1

    Step 1 — What is the Problem?

    It is raining! You do not want to get wet.
    Problem: Stay dry in the rain.
  2. 2

    Step 2 — What is the Shape?

    Look at the umbrella. The top is curved like a dome. That means it goes up and out like a hill.
    Shape: Curved dome on top.
  3. 3

    Step 3 — How Does the Shape Help?

    The curved dome shape makes the rain slide off to the sides. The water goes away from you! If the top was flat, water would sit on top and drip on you.
    The dome shape pushes rain off to the sides.
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Explain It!

    Now we say it in a sentence: The umbrella has a curved dome shape. This makes the rain slide off and keeps you dry!
    The curved shape helps the umbrella work by pushing rain away!
💡

You Did It!

You just explained how a shape helps a solution work. Great job! You said what shape it is and how that shape helps solve the problem.

SECTION 7

Good Shapes and Not-So-Good Shapes

Sometimes a shape works great. Sometimes a different shape would work better. Let's compare!

ObjectGood ShapeBad Shape
Ball for rollingRound — rolls easily!Square — gets stuck.
Cup for drinkingCurved sides — holds water.Flat — water spills.
Tower of blocksFlat and square — stacks!Round — rolls away.
Shovel for diggingPointy tip — pushes in dirt.Round flat — bounces off.

Some shapes work better for certain jobs.

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about putting on a glove. Your hand has a special shape, and the glove matches that shape. If a glove was shaped like a ball, it would not work! The right shape makes things work. The wrong shape does not.

SECTION 8

Shapes Lead to Even More Design

Now you know that shapes help solutions work. When you get bigger, you will learn even more about design. That means planning how to make things.

What You Know NowWhat You Will Learn Later
Shapes help things work.You can pick the best shape for a job.
You can explain why a shape helps.You can test shapes to find the best one.
Some shapes are better for some jobs.You can make shapes work together.

You are building great thinking skills!

Every time you look at something and think about its shape, you are thinking like an engineer! Keep looking at shapes all around you.

SECTION 9

Practice: You Try It!

A dog needs a new food bowl. Let's think about shapes and how they help!

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

What is the dog food bowl's problem to solve? Pick the best answer. A) Hold dog food inside so the dog can eat. B) Roll across the floor. C) Stack on top of other bowls.
Show answer
A) Hold dog food inside so the dog can eat. The bowl needs to keep the food in one place so the dog can reach it and eat. That is the problem the bowl solves!

Question 2: BASIC OBSERVATION

What shape is a dog food bowl? Pick the best answer. A) Pointy like a triangle. B) Curved like a cup. C) Flat like a board.
Show answer
B) Curved like a cup. A dog food bowl has curved sides that go up and around. This curved shape keeps the food inside the bowl so it does not spill out.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

Why would a flat plate NOT be a good dog food bowl? Pick the best answer. A) A flat plate is too heavy. B) A flat plate has no sides, so food falls off. C) A flat plate is too small.
Show answer
B) A flat plate has no sides, so food falls off. Without curved sides going up, the food would slide right off the plate. The dog would push the food everywhere! The curved bowl shape keeps food in one spot.

Question 4: APPLIED

The dog's bowl keeps tipping over! The bottom is round. What shape should the bottom be instead? Pick the best answer. A) A pointy bottom. B) A round bottom again. C) A flat bottom.
Show answer
C) A flat bottom. A flat bottom sits still on the floor and does not tip. A round bottom rolls and tips over. The flat shape helps solve the tipping problem by keeping the bowl steady.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

Think and share: Your friend made a rain catcher to collect water. It has a tall, skinny tube shape. It is not catching much rain. What shape would you tell your friend to try instead? Explain how the new shape would help.
Show answer
A wide, open shape like a big bowl or funnel would be better. The wide opening catches more raindrops because it covers a bigger area. The tall skinny tube only catches a tiny bit of rain because its opening is so small. You could explain: the wide curved shape helps by catching more rain drops from the sky!

SUMMARY

What We Learned

Summary

We learned that shapes help things work! Round shapes roll. Flat shapes stack. Curved shapes hold things. Pointy shapes poke into things. Every shape was picked to help solve a problem.

We can explain how the shape helps by saying what the shape is and what it does. When we do this, we are thinking like engineers! Keep looking at shapes all around you and asking: how does this shape help?

Varsity Tutors • Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Explain how the shape helps the solution work.