Criteria, Unintended Consequences, and Constraints

1. Criteria,Unintended Consequences, and Constraints Please set up your notebook with above Title as your entry for today

2. Criteria criteria – • plural of “criterion” • Something that is used as a reason for making a decision • Example: “What were the criteria used to pick a winner?” • Synonyms: standard, measure, benchmark, bar, manner

3. Criteria (cont.) Example: Biologists working for a National Park tried to re-establish a wolf population that had been decreased in the region. They will attempt to increase the wolf population size by introducing new wolves within the park’s borders. Describe two criteria for evaluating the success of the wolf introduction solution.

4. Criteria (cont.) Example: After the Mount St. Helen’s eruption, a timber company replanted several native tree species in an area in which vegetation had been eliminated in order to begin the process of reforestation. Describe two criteria for evaluating the success of the replanting solution used to address reforestatiom.

5. Unintended Consequences • Unintended - accidental, not planned, unexpected, etc. • Consequences - results or effects of an action • Unintended Consequences are unexpected things that could happen • Scientists and Engineers try to look ahead for future problems and decide if the risk is acceptable

6. Examples of Unintended Consequences… • Too many old tires in Florida were making a mess and wasting valuable property. • Fish need reefs to live in. • Solution: dump old tires in the ocean to create a reef for fish! • Click on image for video Unintended Consequences: • Tire roll when dumped off a boat, so they didn’t stack and crushed a lot of sea life • Decomposing tires give off toxic substances that kill fish

7. Unintended Consequences(cont.) Example (released from OSPI): Adding habitat is a solution to the problem of decreased butterfly populations in prairie ecosystems. What could be an unintended consequence of adding habitat for butterflies? A. Beneficial nutrients could be removed from the ecosystem. B. The air temperature could increase in the ecosystem. C. Materials new to the ecosystem could be introduced. D. The amount of light in the ecosystem could increase.

8. Unintended Consequences (cont.) Example: You want to build a dock that covered some of the waterway in a harbor, so that you can tie up a boat to the shore. What would be some unintended consequencesof this project?

9. Be sure to READ in FULL what they ask you to do “unintended consequence” means something you did not want/expect to happen

10. Constraints • Constraint - something that limits or restricts someone or something • Often times, you are asked to list constraints other than cost ($) • Example: “A constraint on designing a Mars Rover is that we do not have the environmental conditions here on earth needed to test all parts fully.” • Synonyms: restriction, limitation, hindrance

11. Constraints (cont.) Example: You decide you want to build your dock right in front of a public park, and the waterway has endangered salmon in it. What are some of the constraints (other than cost) that may affect your project? Phrase it: “__________________ would be a constraint. This is a limitation on the project because____________.”

12. Constraints (cont.) Example: The Orion spacecraft is currently being built by Lockheed Martin for NASA. The intention is that this spacecraft will be used for manned missions beyond Earth’s low-orbit to the Moon, asteroids and Mars. It will carry a crew of 2 to 6 astronauts. Consider what actual constraints NASA would face when trying to design a radiation shield that would protect humans as they travel on the Orion Spacecraft. Identify two constraints (other than cost) Describe why each constraint is a limitation.