Protect a Pringle! Engineering Design Lab

This lab is designed to guide the student through the engineering design process in a really fun and easy way!


Students must work together as a team to create an efficient way to protect a Pringle from a drop of 2 meters. The only materials that are required are a large can or two of Pringles, lots of newspapers, and some type of tape.


Students will follow the eight steps of the engineering design process as they identify the need or problem, develop possible solutions, and build and test their design.


My students had a lot of fun with this activity, and I loved that it was so cheap and simple to prep!


This lab supports the following Technology/Engineering Standards for students in Grades 6-8:

• Identify and explain the steps of the engineering design process, i.e., identify the need or problem, research the problem, develop possible solutions, select the best possible solution(s), construct a prototype, test and evaluate, communicate the solution(s), and redesign.
• Demonstrate methods of representing solutions to a design problem, e.g., sketches, orthographic projections, multiview drawings.
• Describe and explain the purpose of a given prototype.
• Identify appropriate materials, tools, and machines needed to construct a prototype of a given engineering design.
• Explain how such design features as size, shape, weight, function, and cost limitations would affect the construction of a given prototype.


If you like this lab, you might also be interested in my Support a Cement Block Engineering Design Lab!