Wow we did some amazing work on our package engineering project today. 
We started today working on the Imagine stage of the engineering design process.  Our guiding question:

We talked about how the plant in the story became shriveled and the characters in the story had to improve to make the package successful.  Their first package did not account for the needs of the plant that must be met.    So we watched a short movie about the needs of a plant and made a chart.

Then we watched a movie to review the parts of a plant and created a chart that labeled the parts and discussed the functions of the parts of the plant in keeping the plant healthy.

Then as a class we looked at some plants and created a rubric on what a healthy, somewhat healthy, and not healthy plants properties.  We will use this rubric to determine if the plant package we create is meeting the needs of the plant. 

Then we switched gears and thought about our package from the perspective of the consumer.  We talked about what information the consumer might need from the package. 

Then we reviewed the Functions of Packages and had them think about what their package design might need to include.  They completed a Functions of our Plant Page page to help them with this process.  Then make a class chart with their group findings.  We then analyzed their thinking and determined which items were on the chart for the needs of the plant and which items were on their for the consumer. 

This chart and their plant health rubric will be the criteria by which they will judge their plant package designs. 
Then we started to explore our supplies for the project.  We started with the base package that will be used.  Their two choices are a 1/2 gallon cardboard container or a 2 litter  bottle.  They had to investigate the properties of the material that might be important to look for given this specific design challenge.  They evaluated each of the base packages using Base Packages page.

Then they were given all of the other optional materials for their design.  They looked at the properties of the materials and then applied those properties to how it will function in the package design.