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EngineeringTechnology

Reverse-Engineering Laboratory

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Grades 6-890-120 minSource: Creative Dad Company

Students safely take apart discarded electronics and appliances to map how they were built and work out exactly why they stopped working. It is part scavenger hunt and part detective story, with real aha moments about how things work.

Budget levels

Amazon prices checked Oct 9-10, 2026 and may change

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change. As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

Quick Start

Digital downloads only.

$0 to buy. Printing noted separately.

Student time: one class period, one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one class period on a single day.

Scale back: Fit it into a shorter period, use fewer effects, or run a demo instead of a build.

Scale up: Add one extra effect, or spread the share-out across another day.

Ambiance video

Ambiance video coming soon from Creative Dad Studio

  • kitchen scaleBorrow or school hasuse what you have
  • comparison table templatePrintinguse what you have

Full Experience

Required materials for the class.

$6.26 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Student time: one day.

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one school day.

Scale back: Fit the build into one period with fewer effects.

Scale up: Spread the work across days, or add more effects.

  • Three or four of the same type of simple mechanical deviceRequired1 x 12 pens12 pens$6.26Amazon

Total Transformation

The bigger kit, with every optional item included.

$6.26 per class (class of about 30, 6 groups).

Student time: one day (one session, one-day event).

Teacher prep / build-ahead: separate from student time.

Scale it

The default plan is one session, a one-day event.

Scale back: Shorten the event, or run a demo for a smaller audience.

Scale up: Spread the build and the event across days, or invite a bigger audience.

Materials

Hand tools; Camera or paper for sketches; Three or four of the same type of simple mechanical device; kitchen scale; comparison table template

Materials links go to Amazon. Prices are estimates and may change.

As an Amazon Associate, Creative Dad Company earns from qualifying purchases.

  • Hand tools

    Hand tools

    No link

  • Camera or paper for sketches

    Camera or paper for sketches

    No link

  • Kitchen scale

    kitchen scale

    Shop

Steps

  1. Choose a set of teacher-approved simple mechanical devices that do the same job (for example, three or four retractable pens, clothespins, or staplers); never open mains-powered appliances or devices with unknown stored energy.
  2. Before opening them, test each device on the same measures, such as clicks until failure (up to 200), force to press (pressing on a kitchen scale), and success at its main job. Record data in a comparison table.
  3. Disassemble each device with hand tools while documenting each layer and labeling parts.
  4. Compare designs in the table: note similarities and differences in parts, materials, springs, and fasteners, and link each difference to the test data.
  5. For broken devices, identify the failure point and use safe observation to confirm it.
  6. Choose the best feature from each device and sketch or build a combined design (for example, the spring from one pen and the clicker from another), then test it on the same measures.
  7. Present the comparison table, the combined design, and its test results.

Standards mapped

  • NGSS · MS-ETS1-3

    Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.