Unit 7 — Technology and Design - Knee Braces
Description
Students design and build a functional knee brace using the Boston Museum EiE Designing a Knee Brace kit. This unit applies engineering design to assistive technology and biomedical engineering. Students learn how materials, joints, and structures support movement, then design a brace that provides stability while allowing motion. The project requires students to understand human anatomy, material properties, and functional constraints. Students build prototypes, test them for comfort and function, and iterate designs based on results. This unit introduces assistive technology and shows how engineering improves human life.
Essential Questions
- How does a knee brace support and stabilize movement?
- What materials and structures are needed for functional support?
- How do we balance stability with mobility?
- What does biomedical engineering accomplish?
Learning Objectives
- Understand human joints and movement
- Learn principles of assistive technology and biomedical engineering
- Design a functional knee brace using appropriate materials
- Test braces for support, comfort, and function
- Iterate designs based on testing results
- Understand constraints of wearable technology
- Apply technology standards for design and evaluation
Supplemental Resources
- Index cards for documenting design choices
- Markers for labeling brace parts
- Tape and fasteners from kit for assembly
- Rulers for measuring brace dimensions and fit
- Sticky notes for recording observations during testing
Engineering Design
Interaction of Technology and Humans
Nature of Technology
Crosscutting Concepts
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Students write informative texts to explain engineering design processes and create digital stories about investigations. Students engage in collaborative discussions during design challenges and present findings about prototypes and solutions.
Formative Assessments
- Observation of brace assembly and construction
- Testing of brace fit and function
- Sketches and notes on design decisions
- Comparison of different design iterations
Summative Assessment
Completed functional knee brace with documentation of design process and testing results
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through a hands-on demonstration of their knee brace with teacher questioning about how joints move and why their materials work, rather than written documentation. Visual supports such as labeled diagrams of joints and material property charts may be provided to support design decisions.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students benefit from visual supports such as labeled diagrams of knee joints and step-by-step picture guides for the design and building process. Directions for each phase of prototyping should be broken into small, sequential steps with verbal check-ins to confirm understanding. Students may document their design decisions through dictation, drawing, or oral explanation rather than written notes alone. Providing a structured template with sentence starters or picture prompts for recording observations supports participation in all stages of the engineering design process.
Section 504
Students should be given extended time during construction, testing, and documentation phases to reduce frustration and support careful work. Preferential seating near the teacher during instruction ensures clear access to demonstrations of material properties and joint movement. A low-distraction workspace during prototype building and testing helps students maintain focus on functional tasks.
ELL / MLL
Visual supports such as labeled anatomy diagrams, picture-based vocabulary cards for key terms like joint, brace, support, and material, and physical demonstration of how a knee brace works are essential throughout this unit. Directions for design tasks should be given in simple, clear language with visual examples of each step. Connecting the concept of assistive technology to familiar objects or cultural contexts from students' home experiences can help build meaningful understanding of the unit's purpose.
At Risk (RTI)
Entry points into this unit should emphasize hands-on exploration of materials before formal design tasks begin, allowing students to build familiarity with how different materials feel, bend, and hold shape. Reducing the complexity of the initial design challenge — such as focusing on one functional constraint at a time — helps students experience early success before adding additional requirements. Connecting the purpose of a knee brace to real-world experiences with injury or movement supports relevance and engagement throughout the design process.
Gifted & Talented
Students who demonstrate early mastery of the design challenge can be encouraged to investigate additional functional constraints, such as designing for a specific range of motion or exploring how material choice affects both comfort and durability over repeated use. These students may also extend their thinking by considering how their brace design could be adapted for different users or different joints in the body, connecting biomedical engineering to broader questions about equitable access to assistive technology. Encouraging students to document a detailed engineering design rationale — explaining why each material and structural choice was made — deepens both scientific reasoning and communication skills.