MS-ETS1-3: Combining the Best Features of Designs
Also called NGSS MS-ETS1-3 · Topic: Engineering Design · Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
The Official Wording
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.
NGSS Lead States, 2013 · Read it on nextgenscience.org · checked October 15, 2026
What MS-ETS1-3 Means in Plain English
Students test several designs for the same problem, then study the data to see what each does well and where each falls short. They pick out the strongest features, explain why they work, and combine them into a new design that meets the criteria better than any one alone.
The point is reading data across designs, not just choosing a winner, since a losing design may hold the best idea. This follows MS-ETS1-2 and leads to repeated test-and-improve cycles (MS-ETS1-4).
MS-ETS1-3 I Can Statements
- I can compare test data from several designs.
- I can find the best feature of each design.
- I can combine strong features into a new design.
MS-ETS1-3 Worked Example
Three pizza box solar ovens, each with one different upgrade, tested side by side on a sunny afternoon.
Which features make a pizza box solar oven hottest, and can we combine them?
Set It Up: Four pizza boxes with a single clear plastic film window each, aluminum foil, black construction paper, extra film, tape and an oven thermometer per box.
- Give three boxes one upgrade each: a foil reflector flap, a black paper lining, or a second layer of film.Box A, Box B, Box C
- Set them in full sun at 1 p.m., all starting at the 25 °C air temperature.Same spot, same start
- Read each thermometer every 10 minutes for 30 minutes.A: 41 °C, B: 46 °C, C: 44 °C at 30 minutes
- Note how each box behaves when a cloud passes.C loses the least heat in shade
- Give the fourth box all three upgrades and test it the same way.Box D: 62 °C at 30 minutes
Each upgrade helped a little, but combining the reflector, black lining and double window raised the oven to 62 °C, far above any single design.
Why it works: The foil sends extra sunlight into the box, the black paper absorbs it as heat, and the double window traps warm air, so the three features solve different parts of the heating problem.
Common Mistakes with MS-ETS1-3
Keeping only the winning design
“B was hottest, so we'll just build more of B.”
Try this: Look at what each design did best. Box C held heat in shade, a strength worth adding even though it lost overall.
Changing several things between tests
Box A got foil and a black lining, Box B got nothing
Try this: Give each test design one difference from a shared base, so the data show which feature caused the change.
Assuming combined features always help
“More features means a better oven, so add everything.”
Try this: Test the combined design too. Some features clash or add cost, so only data show whether the mix really improves on the parts.
Where MS-ETS1-3 Fits
Practice MS-ETS1-3
Quick Check
- Box A heats fastest and Box C holds heat best. What should the next design do?
- Why does each test box get only one upgrade?
- Why test the combined design instead of assuming it works?