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Chinampa Engineering Challenge:
Ancient Agriculture Meets Modern Hydroponics
Teacher Guide (continued)
Part 5: Compare the Designs
At the end of the observation period, have teams share their results.
Ask students to compare:
• How were the designs different?
• Which systems remained most stable?
• Which supported successful germination and plant growth?
• Did different designs solve the same problem in different ways?
• What design features appeared to work particularly well?
Emphasize that agricultural engineering rarely has a single solution. Different designs may successfully meet the same
production goal.
Part 6: Improve Your Solution
Ask each team to identify at least one change they would make if they built the system again.
Students can draw and label an improved version of their design in the Student Activity Guide.
If time and materials permit, teams may modify their physical systems and retest them.
Part 7: Make the Ag Science Connection
Conclude by returning to the agricultural problem that began the challenge.
Discuss:
• How did chinampa agriculture help growers use the environmental resources available to them?
• How was your classroom system similar to a chinampa? How was it different?
• What challenges do modern hydroponic systems help growers address?
• How are chinampas and hydroponic systems different?
• What can both teach us about agricultural innovation?
• How might agricultural engineers continue to redesign growing systems to address future food-production challenges?
Extend the Activity: Change One Growing Variable
For a deeper plant-science investigation, have students test one variable at a time, such as:
• Growing medium
• Seed type
• Nutrient availability
• Water conditions
Students should keep other conditions as consistent as possible to more clearly evaluate how the selected variable
affects plant growth.
