Success and Limits
A 55-minute Grade 3 lesson on defining a design problem with clear criteria for success and constraints on materials, time and cost.
Success and Limits is a free 55-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 science lesson plan for Common Core standard 3-5-ETS1-1 — define a design problem, with what counts as success and what limits you. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 55 minutes
- Standard:
- 3-5-ETS1-1
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · Engineering Design
3-5-ETS1-1
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
Objective
Students will be able to write a design problem with at least two criteria and two constraints.
Students are successful when they can
- Writes what success would look like.
- Writes what limits the design.
- Tells a criterion from a constraint.
What you need
- A real design brief for the school grounds
- Two-column cards headed criteria and constraints
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up
5 min- Give a vague brief: 'make something for the bins'.
- Ask what anybody would build, and how you would know if it worked.
Teach — two different lists
14 min- Write a criterion: it must stop the bins blowing over.
- Write another: it must still let staff open the lids.
- Now constraints: five pounds, one afternoon, card and tape only.
- Say the difference: criteria are what success means, constraints are what limits you.
- Test a statement: 'it must cost under five pounds' — which list?
- Say why both are needed: criteria judge it, constraints make it buildable.
“Is that what success looks like, or what is limiting you?”
Investigate — write a brief
19 min- Groups take a real problem in the grounds.
- They write at least two criteria and two constraints.
- They swap briefs and check each line is on the right list.
- They mark any line that is neither and rewrite it.
Independent practice
14 min- Students complete the 'Success and Limits' page.
- Check the sort is by function, not by wording.
Close
3 min- Keep the best brief for the design lesson.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Writes a solution as a criterion.
Why: 'It must be a wooden fence' feels like a requirement.
Fix: That is one solution. The criterion is what the fence has to achieve.
Treats every limit as a criterion.
Why: Both are requirements.
Fix: Ask whether it says what success is or what you may use.
Writes criteria nobody could measure.
Why: 'It must be good' sounds right.
Fix: How would you check it? Rewrite it so somebody could.
If they are not there yet
- Six statements to sort into two columns.
- One criterion supplied, one to write.
If they finish early
- Write a brief with a constraint that rules out your first idea.
- Say which criterion matters most and why.
- Add a criterion about safety and one about cost.
Exit ticket
Write one criterion and one constraint for a design that stops bins blowing over.
What to look for: A criterion such as bins stay upright in a gale, and a constraint such as five pounds or one afternoon. Two of the same kind means the distinction needs another run.
Printable practice for 3-5-ETS1-1
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Success and LimitsSort each one into criterion or constraint.
Questions about Success and Limits
How long does the Success and Limits lesson take?
55 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 14 min, investigate 19 min, independent practice 14 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Success and Limits teach?
3-5-ETS1-1 — 3-5-ETS1-1, Engineering Design for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.” In plain terms, define a design problem, with what counts as success and what limits you.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A real design brief for the school grounds, two-column cards headed criteria and constraints and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: writes a solution as a criterion; treats every limit as a criterion and writes criteria nobody could measure. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Write one criterion and one constraint for a design that stops bins blowing over.” A criterion such as bins stay upright in a gale, and a constraint such as five pounds or one afternoon. Two of the same kind means the distinction needs another run. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Success and Limits?
Yes — 1 printable 3-5-ETS1-1 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Success and Limits free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 8 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-08. Aligned to 3-5-ETS1-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.