3-5-ETS1-1: Defining a Design Problem
Also called NGSS 3-5-ETS1-1 · Topic: Engineering Design · Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
The Official Wording
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
NGSS Lead States, 2013 · Read it on nextgenscience.org · checked October 15, 2026
What 3-5-ETS1-1 Means in Plain English
Students in grades 3 to 5 learn to state a design problem clearly before building. They name who needs a solution, list how they will judge success, and write down the limits, such as which materials they can use, how long they have and what it can cost.
Engineers call the goals criteria and the limits constraints. The problem statement describes the need without picking a solution yet. This grows from K-2-ETS1-1 and leads to comparing possible designs (3-5-ETS1-2) and testing them fairly (3-5-ETS1-3).
3-5-ETS1-1 I Can Statements
- I can describe a problem that a design could solve.
- I can list criteria that show when a design succeeds.
- I can name the constraints on materials, time and cost.
3-5-ETS1-1 Worked Example
A real classroom annoyance, tipping water bottles, turned into a clear design problem step by step.
What exactly must a holder for the class's water bottles do, and what limits does it have?
Set It Up: A week of spill counts on the whiteboard, chart paper, markers and a list of what is in the recycling bin.
- Count how often bottles tip over or roll across the floor for one week.23 spills and 9 lost lids in 5 days
- Ask the class and the teacher what bothers them most.Wet worksheets, bottles in walkways
- Write the criteria the holder must meet.Holds 28 bottles upright, survives a bump, each student finds theirs in 5 seconds
- Write the constraints.Recycled materials plus one roll of tape, $0, two 40-minute work sessions
- Reread the problem to make sure it does not name a solution yet.No shape or material picked so far
The class wrote one clear problem: a holder for 28 water bottles of different sizes that keeps them upright, built from recycled materials in two work sessions.
Why it works: Engineers define success and limits first so every idea can be judged against the same list, which keeps the team from building something that misses the real need.
Common Mistakes with 3-5-ETS1-1
Starting with a solution
“The problem is we need a shoebox rack.”
Try this: Describe the need first, like bottles tipping over. A shoebox rack is one possible answer, saved for when you brainstorm.
Vague criteria
“It should work well and be good.”
Try this: Make each criterion something you can check, like holding 28 bottles or staying upright when a desk is bumped.
Mixing up criteria and constraints
“Use only recycled stuff” listed as a goal
Try this: Criteria describe what success looks like. Constraints are the limits you must work within, like materials, time and money.
Where 3-5-ETS1-1 Fits
Practice 3-5-ETS1-1
Quick Check
- What is a criterion in a design problem?
- Name a constraint for a class project.
- Why write the problem before building?