Weighing Up Several Ideas is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 science worksheet on comparing solutions against criteria and constraints, aligned to Common Core standard 3-5-ETS1-2. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
B.Record why it failed, in case part of it is useful
C.Throw it away
2.Two designs tie on every criterion. What else could decide?
A.Which is easier to repair or reuse
B.Which was drawn first
C.Which is heavier
3.Two designs meet the criteria. One costs less. Which do you choose?
A.The one you built
B.The cheaper one, since both meet the criteria
C.The larger one
4.Three designs are compared. What should the comparison be based on?
A.Which took longest
B.How well each meets each criterion and constraint
C.Which looks best
5.Why generate several solutions before choosing?
A.The first idea is rarely the best against the criteria
B.To take longer
C.To use more paper
6.A design works well but breaks the five pound limit. What is it?
A.A criterion
B.A solution that fails a constraint, however well it works
C.The best solution
7.A design meets every criterion but nobody can build it in the time. What follows?
A.It fails a constraint and cannot be chosen as it stands
B.It wins anyway
C.Constraints do not matter
8.Why compare solutions against the criteria rather than each other?
A.Criteria are optional
B.It is quicker
C.The criteria say what counts as success
LessonPrint · 3-5-ETS1-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Weighing Up Several Ideas
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.Record why it failed, in case part of it is useful
2.Which is easier to repair or reuse
3.The cheaper one, since both meet the criteria
4.How well each meets each criterion and constraint
5.The first idea is rarely the best against the criteria
6.A solution that fails a constraint, however well it works
7.It fails a constraint and cannot be chosen as it stands
8.The criteria say what counts as success
Questions about Weighing Up Several Ideas
What does the Weighing Up Several Ideas worksheet cover?
It practises comparing solutions against criteria and constraints — 8 questions for Grade 3 to Grade 5, all on Common Core 3-5-ETS1-2: Compare several possible solutions against the criteria and the constraints. The instruction to pupils is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Weighing Up Several Ideas practise?
3-5-ETS1-2 — 3-5-ETS1-2, in the Engineering Design domain for Grade 3 to Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Weighing Up Several Ideas is written for Grade 3 to Grade 5, typically ages 40-41. It is one of the sheets on 3-5-ETS1-2, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Weighing Up Several Ideas come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Weighing Up Several Ideas can I print?
25 — one per pupil, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Weighing Up Several Ideas free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Weighing Up Several Ideas, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach 3-5-ETS1-2?
Yes — “Weighing Up Several Ideas” is a 55-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 plan for 3-5-ETS1-2, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Weighing Up Several Ideas is the practice that follows it.
More practice for 3-5-ETS1-2
Compare several possible solutions against the criteria and the constraints.
Teaching this next? Weighing Up Several Ideas is the 55-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.