Engineering Failures & Lessons Learned Matching Activity Hands-on Sort Center

Engineering Failures & Lessons Learned – Interactive Matching Activity

Help students explore real-world engineering failures and the lessons they teach with this engaging, hands-on sorting activity!

Students will match an engineering disaster, its cause, and the key lesson learned to deepen their understanding of engineering principles and design improvements.

What’s Included:
20 Engineering Disaster Cards – Featuring major engineering failures from history.
20 Cause Cards – Explaining the structural, mechanical, or human errors that led to each failure.
20 Engineering Lesson Cards – Highlighting the critical design improvements or safety measures that resulted.
Blank Cards – Customizable templates that can be used as a diagnostic tool to assess prior knowledge or as a research extension for students to explore additional failures.

How It Works:
Students will match an Engineering Disaster Card with its corresponding Cause Card and Engineering Lesson Card to form a complete set. For example:
Engineering Disaster: Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse
Cause: Aerodynamic flutter
Lesson Learned: Structural designs must account for wind forces

Before starting the activity, teachers can use the blank cards for a prior knowledge assessment, asking students to brainstorm engineering disasters and their causes.

These cards can also be used as a research tool, encouraging students to investigate additional failures and lessons beyond those included in the set.

Why Teachers Love It:
Hands-On & Interactive – Promotes active learning through sorting and discussion.
Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving – Encourages students to analyze causes and consequences.
Customizable for Deeper Learning – Blank cards allow for assessment and student-led research.
Classroom-Ready – Easy to print, laminate, and reuse for long-term engagement.
Perfect for Engineering & STEM Lessons – Ideal for activity centers, group work, or independent study.
Real-World Application – Helps students connect historical failures to modern engineering solutions.

With 60 cards plus blank cards for customization, this dynamic resource brings engineering concepts to life in a fun and meaningful way!

Build engineering knowledge—one lesson at a time!