Grade Levels: 2nd- 6th
Duration: 4 class periods (60 minutes each)
STEM Focus: Engineering Design Process, Reverse Engineering, Systems Thinking, Prototyping
Lesson Overview In this engaging four-day STEM unit, students explore the inner workings of pens and mechanical pencils through reverse engineering. By disassembling, analyzing, researching, and redesigning common writing tools, students develop a deep understanding of how simple machines and systems work together to serve a purpose.
Using the Engineering Design Process and 5E model of instruction, students will not only discover how the components of a pen function but will also apply their learning by designing their own improved or original writing tool. Each lesson fosters curiosity, hands-on investigation, critical thinking, and creativity—making this project ideal for budding engineers and tinkerers.
Skills Students Will Practice

• Reverse Engineering & Functional Analysis
  
• Engineering Design Process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, Improve
  
• Systems Thinking & Component Analysis
  
• Research and Comparison of Designs
  
• Sketching and Design Planning
  
• Communication, Collaboration, and Presentation
  

Materials Needed (per group or student)

• 2–3 retractable pens (variety encouraged)
  
• 1 mechanical pencil
  
• Student notebook or STEM journal
  
• Pencils, markers, colored pencils
  
• Research devices (optional – shared or individual)
  
• Ruler or measuring tape
  
• Materials for prototyping (cardboard, clay, tape, recycled parts, etc.)
  

What’s Included

✅ Full 4-day lesson plan (PDF)
✅ Student worksheets and reflection guides
✅ NGSS-aligned focus and assessment ideas
✅ Extension activities and project suggestions

NGSS Standards Addressed Grades 3–5

• 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem that reflects a need or a want, including criteria for success and constraints.
  
• 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem.
  
• 3-5-ETS1-3: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify improvements.
  

Grades 6–8 (extension use)

• MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with precision.
  
• MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process.
  
• MS-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests to determine design strengths and weaknesses.
  

This lesson is part of the Solver’s Problems Education Series, created to empower young learners to think like engineers, explore real-world objects, and reimagine everyday tools through hands-on, inquiry-based challenges.
For more STEM ideas and projects, visit solversproblems.com.