The fourth graders have been tasked with the job of constructing knee braces for a “injured knees.”

Every engineer needs to know early in the process what materials are available for use and the physical characteristics of each. Recently, students tested ten building supplies for how well each can stretch, bend, or roll and whether its shape can be changed to fit a specific function. They also thought about how each might be used in a knee brace, whether it be to provide support, comfort, or as a means of attaching two pieces together.