K-2-ETS1-2: How Shape Helps an Object Work
Also called NGSS K-2-ETS1-2 · Topic: Engineering Design · Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
The Official Wording
Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
NGSS Lead States, 2013 · Read it on nextgenscience.org · checked October 15, 2026
What K-2-ETS1-2 Means in Plain English
Children in kindergarten through 2nd grade draw a sketch or build a simple model to show how an object's shape helps it do its job. A cup holds water because it has sides, and a folded paper bridge holds more than a flat one.
Models and drawings stay simple, with labels and arrows rather than exact measurements. This step follows defining the problem (K-2-ETS1-1) and comes before testing designs against each other (K-2-ETS1-3). Later, students sketch several solutions and weigh them (3-5-ETS1-2).
K-2-ETS1-2 I Can Statements
- I can draw a sketch that shows how an object works.
- I can build a simple model to test a shape.
- I can explain how a shape helps an object do its job.
K-2-ETS1-2 Worked Example
A bridge challenge with index cards, two books and a pile of pennies.
Can changing only the shape of a paper card make it hold more pennies?
Set It Up: Index cards all the same size, two books set 10 cm apart, a small paper cup and a pile of pennies.
- Lay a flat card over the gap and set the cup in the middle.Card sags under the empty cup
- Add pennies one at a time until the card falls.Flat card: 3 pennies
- Fold a new card into an accordion with folds about 1 cm wide and test it the same way.Accordion card: 40 pennies
- Roll a third card into a tube and test it.Tube: 15 pennies, then it rolls
- Draw the winning shape and label where the folds carry the weight.A labeled sketch
The same kind of card held more than ten times as many pennies when folded into an accordion.
Why it works: Folds make the paper stiff in the direction it must bend, so the shape spreads the weight and keeps the card from sagging.
Common Mistakes with K-2-ETS1-2
Changing the material instead of the shape
Cardboard for the folded bridge, paper for the flat one
Try this: Use the same kind of card for every design, so any difference in strength comes only from the shape.
A drawing with no explanation
A pretty bridge picture with no labels
Try this: Add labels and arrows that show which part does the work, like “folds hold the pennies up.”
Thinking more paper always means stronger
“Use two flat cards, then it will hold more”
Try this: Test it. Two stacked flat cards hold only a little more, while one folded card holds far more, because shape matters most.
Where K-2-ETS1-2 Fits
Practice K-2-ETS1-2
Quick Check
- Why does a folded paper bridge hold more than a flat one?
- Why does a cup have tall sides?
- What should a design sketch include besides the picture?