HS-ETS1-3: Judging Solutions by Criteria and Trade-Offs
Also called NGSS HS-ETS1-3 · Topic: Engineering Design · Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
The Official Wording
Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
NGSS Lead States, 2013 · Read it on nextgenscience.org · checked October 15, 2026
What HS-ETS1-3 Means in Plain English
Students judge a proposed solution to a messy real problem by ranking what matters most and scoring the options. They weigh cost, safety, how reliably it works and how it looks, along with its effects on people, cultures and the environment, then defend a choice.
No option wins on every criterion, so the skill is naming the trade-offs openly and showing how the ranking drove the decision. NGSS sets no extra limit. It builds on HS-ETS1-1 and HS-ETS1-2, and HS-ETS1-4 adds computer testing.
HS-ETS1-3 I Can Statements
- I can rank criteria by how much they matter.
- I can score solutions with a weighted decision matrix.
- I can explain the trade-offs behind my recommendation.
HS-ETS1-3 Worked Example
A decision a class can work through for a town whose shoreline is washing away.
Should an eroding coastal town build a concrete seawall, plant a living shoreline or move buildings back from the edge?
Set It Up: Fact sheets on the three options, a ranked list of criteria agreed by the class, and a weighted decision matrix scored out of 50.
- Rank the criteria and give each a weight.Safety 3, cost 2, habitat 2, reliability 2, looks 1
- Score each option from 1 to 5 on every criterion.Seawall strong on safety, weak on habitat
- Multiply each score by its weight and add the totals.Seawall 31, living shoreline 38, moving back 36
- Test the decision by doubling the weight on safety.Moving back 51, living shoreline 47, seawall 46
- Write the recommendation with its trade-offs.Living shoreline, plus a plan for the most exposed homes
The living shoreline scored highest under the class's ranking, but the result flipped when safety counted double, so the recommendation names that trade-off.
Why it works: A weighted matrix makes priorities visible, and testing different weights shows how much a decision depends on what people value most.
Common Mistakes with HS-ETS1-3
Equal weights by default
Every criterion counted the same, looks as much as safety
Try this: Agree on a ranking first and give the most important criteria bigger weights before scoring any option.
Hiding the trade-offs
“The living shoreline is the best in every way.”
Try this: State what the winning option gives up, like less protection in a severe storm, so decision makers see the full picture.
Scoring to fit a favorite
Raising one option's scores after choosing it
Try this: Score every option against written evidence before totaling, and have a partner check the scores for bias.
Where HS-ETS1-3 Fits
Practice HS-ETS1-3
Quick Check
- An option scores 4 on a criterion with a weight of 3. What does it add to the total?
- What is a trade-off?
- Why change the weights after scoring?