Engineering Design · California Grade 6-8

MS-ETS1-4

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Source: California Department of Education, NGSS Preferred Integrated Course Model, Grade 6-8 (accessed 2026-10-18)

Chapters

Chapter 6: Food Webs and Trophic Pyramidspractice

The lesson's engineering spread describes scientists testing one lake intervention, measuring, and modifying it. In Lab 3 students run a simple rule-based lake model to generate year-by-year data for a proposed restoration plan, compare the output to criteria and a budget, and modify the plan. The model is supplied rather than developed by students, so this is practice rather than full evidence toward the PE.

Chapter 10: Energy in Earth's Systemspractice

The Biosphere 2 strand asks students to read oxygen data from a physical model, propose what went wrong and decide what to test next. Students analyze and propose iterations rather than building a testable model themselves (W9 asks for a design), so the role is practice.

Chapter 14: Energy in Chemical Reactionspractice

In Lab 2 the prototype pack is the model that generates temperature-over-time data, and students use that data to modify the next version. The lesson text models this cycle with the hand-warmer engineers. Students do not develop their own model from scratch, so this is practice toward the PE rather than full evidence of it.

Chapter 18: The Water Cycleassesses

In Lab 1 students build a working solar distiller, measure its output, change one feature, retest and record the result over two rounds; the design log and output data are evidence for this PE. Elsewhere in the chapter the PE is practiced, not assessed.

Worksheets (5)

Chapter	Worksheet	Role	How it connects
Ch. 6	W9 · Clearing Alder Reservoir: Choose a Food-Web Fix and Plan the Test Transfer and design	supports	The pyramid is used as a model to predict outcomes and to plan a test whose results would modify the solution; students plan the iteration but do not run a model that generates data, so this is background to the PE.
Ch. 10	W6 · Where Did the Oxygen Go? A Sealed-Jar Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Case Claim, evidence, reasoning	practice	Students analyze data generated by a physical model, decide what the data reveal about the design, and propose a modification for the next test. This is the iterative test-and-modify practice the PE names, done on a model someone else built.
Ch. 10	W9 · Design Challenge: A Sealed Mini-World That Survives Twenty-One Days Transfer and design	practice	Students design a physical model, specify the data it will generate during a 21-day test, and write a modification rule for the next version. They plan rather than build on this sheet, so it is practice toward the PE; the build is an optional follow-up, not one of this chapter's labs.
Ch. 10	W10 · Energy in Earth's Systems: Mastery Check Retrieval and mastery check	supports	Item 8 checks the meaning of a closed system as used in the Biosphere 2 story, background for the iterative-testing practice in this PE.
Ch. 18	W9 · Design Challenge: A Solar Still That Runs on the Water Cycle Transfer and design	practice	Students plan an iterative test of their combined design, naming the variable to change, what to hold constant and what data to collect; they do not build or run it here, so this is practice toward the PE rather than full evidence.

Labs (4)

Chapter	Lab	Role	How it connects
Ch. 6	Lab 3 · Fixing Lake Vesipuro: Test a Restoration Plan on Paper Data-driven decision	practice	Students run a supplied rule-based lake model to produce four years of predicted data for each plan, compare the results with criteria and constraints, modify the plan and run it again. The model is given rather than developed by students, so the lab practices the PE rather than fully assessing it.
Ch. 10	Lab 2 · Strings Across the Spheres: Modeling Energy and Matter Flows Collaborative systems modeling	supports	The sealed-dome perturbation asks students to use their systems model to predict what a Biosphere 2 style design would cut off and what would go wrong, which is the reasoning behind iterative model testing without building a testable device.
Ch. 14	Lab 2 · Build a Better Pack: Design, Test and Improve a Hot or Cold Pack Engineering design challenge	practice	The prototype pack is the model that generates temperature-versus-time data, and each new prototype is modified from that data. The criteria and the test procedure are supplied by the brief rather than developed by students, so this builds toward the PE rather than fully assessing it.
Ch. 18	Lab 1 · Build, Test, Improve: a Solar Distiller That Runs on Sunlight and Gravity Engineering design challenge	assesses	Students measure the output of version 1, predict the effect of one change, build version 2, measure again and decide what to change next; the design log with measured outputs for at least two versions is direct evidence for this performance expectation.