Description
In the Conservation Prototype Build & Lock unit, students become Wildlife Documentary conservation engineers as they design and build a physical prototype that addresses the specific wildlife problem their team identified for their chosen SDG. Set inside the Wildlife Documentary Crew narrative theme and tied to UN SDGs 13, 14, and 15, this 2-week unit gives Grade 3 students real engineering stakes — their prototype must actually address the conservation problem it was designed to solve, tested twice before being locked for the Q4 showcase.
What Students Will Do
* Use the SDG planning sheet to design a prototype tailored to their chosen goal — climate action, water habitat, or land habitat
* Sketch the prototype with labeled parts and a one-sentence problem statement before touching any materials
* Build the prototype using craft materials and conduct an initial test — does it address the problem?
* Review the initial test result and identify one specific weakness to target in a redesign
* Execute the redesign, conduct a final test, and lock the prototype for display at the Q4 showcase
What's Included (9 Documents)
* Lesson Plan — Complete teacher guide with full TEKS alignment, day-by-day pacing, learning targets, and vertical alignment notes connecting to prior and future grades
* Training Sheet — Student-facing challenge introduction connecting the narrative theme to the engineering concept, with key vocabulary and a practice activity before any building begins
* Planning Sheet — Structured design document where students sketch, label materials, check constraints, and earn teacher initials before touching any materials
* Data Sheet — Quantitative and observational data collection formatted for this challenge's specific testing metric
* Engineering Rubric — 20-point, 4-category teacher assessment that rewards the engineering process — planning, execution, data rigor, redesign reasoning, and reflection depth
* Redesign Sheet — Evidence-based iteration document requiring students to cite specific data before proposing any build change
* Reflection Sheet — Four structured questions moving students from restating the challenge to analyzing data to proposing a third design to connecting their work to real engineering
* Student Quick Reference — Concise summary card with the challenge, locked constraints, week sequence, team roles, data checklist, and key vocabulary
* Teacher Clarity Guide — Non-negotiables, standardized testing protocol, specific teaching moves, and a Common Mistakes section with exact response language
The Engineering Phase System
Every project moves students through a structured, color-coded arc:
Blue Phase — Plan & Prototype: Students complete vocabulary and concept work, sketch their design, check constraints, and earn teacher approval before any materials are touched.
Green Phase — Build, Test & Improve: Students build, conduct controlled tests, record data, and use evidence to complete the Redesign Sheet before modifying their build.
Purple Phase — Final Test, Reflect & Present: Students run their final locked test, complete the Reflection Sheet individually, and participate in a debrief, gallery walk, or showcase.
Why Teachers Love This
- Complete Engineering Design Process every time, no shortcuts
- Narrative-driven context sustains student motivation through data collection and testing
- Low prep — pick it up and teach it
- 9 fully developed documents, nothing to build from scratch
- Rewards engineering thinking, not just whether the build succeeded
- Vertically aligned — skills build deliberately across grades 2-8
Perfect For
* STEAM Labs
* Science Classrooms
* Engineering & Makerspace Units
* Homeschool Co-ops & STEM Enrichment
* Summer STEM Camps & After-School Programs
* Project-Based Learning Units
* Substitute Plans
Standards Alignment
Aligned to Texas TEKS: Science 3.1-3.5; 3.7(A-B); 3.8(B). Technology Applications 3.1. Crosswalks to NGSS: 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3 (Engineering Design). Connected to UN SDGs 13, 14, and 15.
Part of the STEM with Mr. B K-8 STEAM Engineering Curriculum
This listing is one piece of a complete, vertically aligned K-8 engineering curriculum organized by grade, quarter, and narrative theme. Every project builds on skills from the week before. Quarter bundles, grade-level bundles, and the full curriculum are available in the store.
Conservation Engineering STEM Unit – Prototype Design | Grade 3 | 2-Week
Highlights
Description
In the Conservation Prototype Build & Lock unit, students become Wildlife Documentary conservation engineers as they design and build a physical prototype that addresses the specific wildlife problem their team identified for their chosen SDG. Set inside the Wildlife Documentary Crew narrative theme and tied to UN SDGs 13, 14, and 15, this 2-week unit gives Grade 3 students real engineering stakes — their prototype must actually address the conservation problem it was designed to solve, tested twice before being locked for the Q4 showcase.
What Students Will Do
* Use the SDG planning sheet to design a prototype tailored to their chosen goal — climate action, water habitat, or land habitat
* Sketch the prototype with labeled parts and a one-sentence problem statement before touching any materials
* Build the prototype using craft materials and conduct an initial test — does it address the problem?
* Review the initial test result and identify one specific weakness to target in a redesign
* Execute the redesign, conduct a final test, and lock the prototype for display at the Q4 showcase
What's Included (9 Documents)
* Lesson Plan — Complete teacher guide with full TEKS alignment, day-by-day pacing, learning targets, and vertical alignment notes connecting to prior and future grades
* Training Sheet — Student-facing challenge introduction connecting the narrative theme to the engineering concept, with key vocabulary and a practice activity before any building begins
* Planning Sheet — Structured design document where students sketch, label materials, check constraints, and earn teacher initials before touching any materials
* Data Sheet — Quantitative and observational data collection formatted for this challenge's specific testing metric
* Engineering Rubric — 20-point, 4-category teacher assessment that rewards the engineering process — planning, execution, data rigor, redesign reasoning, and reflection depth
* Redesign Sheet — Evidence-based iteration document requiring students to cite specific data before proposing any build change
* Reflection Sheet — Four structured questions moving students from restating the challenge to analyzing data to proposing a third design to connecting their work to real engineering
* Student Quick Reference — Concise summary card with the challenge, locked constraints, week sequence, team roles, data checklist, and key vocabulary
* Teacher Clarity Guide — Non-negotiables, standardized testing protocol, specific teaching moves, and a Common Mistakes section with exact response language
The Engineering Phase System
Every project moves students through a structured, color-coded arc:
Blue Phase — Plan & Prototype: Students complete vocabulary and concept work, sketch their design, check constraints, and earn teacher approval before any materials are touched.
Green Phase — Build, Test & Improve: Students build, conduct controlled tests, record data, and use evidence to complete the Redesign Sheet before modifying their build.
Purple Phase — Final Test, Reflect & Present: Students run their final locked test, complete the Reflection Sheet individually, and participate in a debrief, gallery walk, or showcase.
Why Teachers Love This
- Complete Engineering Design Process every time, no shortcuts
- Narrative-driven context sustains student motivation through data collection and testing
- Low prep — pick it up and teach it
- 9 fully developed documents, nothing to build from scratch
- Rewards engineering thinking, not just whether the build succeeded
- Vertically aligned — skills build deliberately across grades 2-8
Perfect For
* STEAM Labs
* Science Classrooms
* Engineering & Makerspace Units
* Homeschool Co-ops & STEM Enrichment
* Summer STEM Camps & After-School Programs
* Project-Based Learning Units
* Substitute Plans
Standards Alignment
Aligned to Texas TEKS: Science 3.1-3.5; 3.7(A-B); 3.8(B). Technology Applications 3.1. Crosswalks to NGSS: 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3 (Engineering Design). Connected to UN SDGs 13, 14, and 15.
Part of the STEM with Mr. B K-8 STEAM Engineering Curriculum
This listing is one piece of a complete, vertically aligned K-8 engineering curriculum organized by grade, quarter, and narrative theme. Every project builds on skills from the week before. Quarter bundles, grade-level bundles, and the full curriculum are available in the store.
