Description
Launch your students into an epic engineering adventure on Saturn’s largest moon — Titan!
In this immersive Engineering Design Process (EDP) project, students become NASA engineers for StemTech tasked with creating a wind-powered rover capable of traversing Titan’s icy dunes using only wind energy (simulated with a fan).
Rumor has it… one of 's famous turtle-rescue kittens escaped and is now hiding on Titan! 🐢🐾 Students must design, test, and iterate their rover prototypes to track it down — all while applying real-world design thinking, testing constraints, and documenting their progress like true engineers.
Throughout the project, students move through each phase of the Engineering Design Process — Define, Develop, Design, Build & Test, Evaluate & Improve, and Present — learning to think like real NASA scientists and engineers. Every iteration, sketch, and prototype connects back to performance, constraints, and creativity.
What’s Included
✅ Engaging Titan Storyline with NASA-inspired context (and humor!)
✅ Editable Student Design Process Packet with labeled sections for each step
✅ Google Slides Presentation Template with built-in reflection prompts
✅ Detailed Rubric (300 Points) for easy grading
✅ Engineering Design Table to track prototypes, failures, and improvements
✅ Challenge & Enrichment Levels for differentiated learning
✅ Constraints & Realistic Engineering Parameters (size, durability, payload, and accuracy)
✅ Materials List (Budget-Friendly)
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
By the end of this project, students will:
🚀 Apply the Engineering Design Process to create, test, and improve a prototype.
💨 Understand how wind energy and force influence motion.
🧠 Develop creative problem-solving and iteration skills through testing and redesign.
🧩 Analyze constraints and adjust design decisions accordingly.
🎯 Present data, visuals, and results in a professional Google Slides pitch.
🎓 Reflect on teamwork, innovation, and real-world engineering practices.
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
NGSS Middle School Engineering Standards:
- MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem.
- MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions.
- MS-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests to identify best characteristics.
- MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing.
NGSS Physical Science Connections:
- MS-PS2-2: Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object.
Crosscutting Concepts:
- Cause and effect, stability and change, energy transfer
PERFECT FOR
🧩 Engineering Design Process Lessons
💨 Motion & Forces Units
🧠 Middle School STEM / NGSS Labs
🚀 Space or NASA-Themed Projects
🏫 6th–8th Grade PLTW “Design & Modeling” Connections
💡 After-School STEM Clubs or Engineering Days
CLASSROOM HIGHLIGHTS
💬 “My students begged for extra build time — they were completely hooked!”
💬 “The storyline makes it feel like a real NASA mission. Total engagement!”
💬 “The EDP table and rubric made grading super simple.”
RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVELS
Grades 6–8 (adaptable for 5th or 9th grade enrichment)
BONUS FUN
✨ Includes optional Enrichment Challenges:
+4 pts. Payload Challenge (carry a weight)
+4 pts. Turn Challenge (navigate around an obstacle)
+6 pts. Crosswind Challenge (simulate multi-directional wind flow)
Titan Wind-Rover Design Challenge | Engineering Design Process STEM Project
Highlights
Description
Launch your students into an epic engineering adventure on Saturn’s largest moon — Titan!
In this immersive Engineering Design Process (EDP) project, students become NASA engineers for StemTech tasked with creating a wind-powered rover capable of traversing Titan’s icy dunes using only wind energy (simulated with a fan).
Rumor has it… one of 's famous turtle-rescue kittens escaped and is now hiding on Titan! 🐢🐾 Students must design, test, and iterate their rover prototypes to track it down — all while applying real-world design thinking, testing constraints, and documenting their progress like true engineers.
Throughout the project, students move through each phase of the Engineering Design Process — Define, Develop, Design, Build & Test, Evaluate & Improve, and Present — learning to think like real NASA scientists and engineers. Every iteration, sketch, and prototype connects back to performance, constraints, and creativity.
What’s Included
✅ Engaging Titan Storyline with NASA-inspired context (and humor!)
✅ Editable Student Design Process Packet with labeled sections for each step
✅ Google Slides Presentation Template with built-in reflection prompts
✅ Detailed Rubric (300 Points) for easy grading
✅ Engineering Design Table to track prototypes, failures, and improvements
✅ Challenge & Enrichment Levels for differentiated learning
✅ Constraints & Realistic Engineering Parameters (size, durability, payload, and accuracy)
✅ Materials List (Budget-Friendly)
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS
By the end of this project, students will:
🚀 Apply the Engineering Design Process to create, test, and improve a prototype.
💨 Understand how wind energy and force influence motion.
🧠 Develop creative problem-solving and iteration skills through testing and redesign.
🧩 Analyze constraints and adjust design decisions accordingly.
🎯 Present data, visuals, and results in a professional Google Slides pitch.
🎓 Reflect on teamwork, innovation, and real-world engineering practices.
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
NGSS Middle School Engineering Standards:
- MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem.
- MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions.
- MS-ETS1-3: Analyze data from tests to identify best characteristics.
- MS-ETS1-4: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing.
NGSS Physical Science Connections:
- MS-PS2-2: Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object.
Crosscutting Concepts:
- Cause and effect, stability and change, energy transfer
PERFECT FOR
🧩 Engineering Design Process Lessons
💨 Motion & Forces Units
🧠 Middle School STEM / NGSS Labs
🚀 Space or NASA-Themed Projects
🏫 6th–8th Grade PLTW “Design & Modeling” Connections
💡 After-School STEM Clubs or Engineering Days
CLASSROOM HIGHLIGHTS
💬 “My students begged for extra build time — they were completely hooked!”
💬 “The storyline makes it feel like a real NASA mission. Total engagement!”
💬 “The EDP table and rubric made grading super simple.”
RECOMMENDED GRADE LEVELS
Grades 6–8 (adaptable for 5th or 9th grade enrichment)
BONUS FUN
✨ Includes optional Enrichment Challenges:
+4 pts. Payload Challenge (carry a weight)
+4 pts. Turn Challenge (navigate around an obstacle)
+6 pts. Crosswind Challenge (simulate multi-directional wind flow)
