POE Unit 5 • Lesson 5.5

Research and Benchmarking

Find relevant examples, compare features, and summarize useful design lessons without copying a solution.

Lesson Snapshot

Student Objective

I can research existing aerospace systems and use benchmarking to guide design decisions.

Main Activity

Find relevant examples, compare features, and summarize useful design lessons without copying a solution.

Deliverable

Benchmarking notes and research summary

Tools / Materials

Research devices, notebook, citation notes

1ProblemUnderstand the challenge and why it matters.

Today’s work supports the final capstone by moving your team from an idea toward a tested aerospace system that can be explained with evidence. Focus on what the system must accomplish, how it will be tested, and what decisions need to be documented.

2ConceptLearn the engineering idea or skill.

A strong capstone connects technical decisions to requirements. Every sketch, subsystem, material choice, control decision, measurement, and revision should help prove that the system meets the mission problem.

3ApplyUse the skill in a guided task.

Find relevant examples, compare features, and summarize useful design lessons without copying a solution.

4DocumentRecord your evidence and decisions.

Record your objective, key decisions, diagrams, data, sketches, photos, calculations, and the deliverable for today: Benchmarking notes and research summary.

5ReviewCheck quality and identify your next step.

Before leaving today, make sure your work is specific enough that another engineer could understand what changed, why it changed, and what your team needs to do next.

Lesson Resources

Use these files and shared website resources when they support today’s capstone work.

Design Review Form

Use to prepare your final design review and organize evidence for feedback.

Open Resource

Decision Matrix

Use to compare concepts and justify the direction your team selected.

Open Resource

Measurement Data Sheet

Use for repeated trials, measurements, observations, and performance data.

Open Resource

Engineering Resource Library

Templates, reference sheets, sketch paper, and course support files.

Open Resource