Hey, everybody.
You're just in time.
We're planning a big summer vacation.
All our friends are going to get together and go swimming at the lake.
Everybody's going to be there, including Juniper.
I can't wait.
This is going to be so much fun.
What?
Oh, no.
OK.
Squeaks went to find his toy boat because Juniper was going to ride on it at the lake, but he thinks maybe he lent it to somebody who didn't return it.
Sam, would you know anything about that?
Who, me?
No way.
Sam?
For real.
Maybe I like to play jokes sometimes, but not if it means our friend would miss out on our whole vacation.
So the boat is really missing.
Hmm.
That's a big problem.
That's okay, guys.
You go ahead and have fun.
I'll catch up with you later.
I agree with Squeaks.
We don't want anyone to miss out on our amazing trip.
But Jessie, Juniper can't go out on the lake without a boat.
And she won't have any fun if she's stuck on shore.
How are we going to solve this problem?
Ooh, Squeak says, what if there was another way Juniper could float on the lake with us?
You two have given me an idea.
We just identified something we'd like to change, a problem we'd like to solve.
You know who thinks up solutions to problems like ours?
Engineers.
Let's be engineers and solve Juniper's problem.
I bet we could make something to help her, but I don't know how to build a boat.
I agree, but that's exactly the kind of challenge engineers like to solve.
We could put together a simple boat, a raft.
Let's get started.
Hold on a sec, Sam.
Engineers think about the problem and do a little bit of planning before they get started.
They ask questions and try to find out as much about the problem as they can.
Let's talk to our friends to gather information.
Juniper, the raft has to do what you need.
So let's start with you.
But we already know what the problem is.
It's that I don't have a boat.
That's right.
But the more specific things we can identify about the problem, the easier it will be to solve.
Well, it definitely needs to float.
Does that help?
Yes, it does.
We'll need materials that float in order to build our raft.
And I don't want to fall off, either.
That's very important, too.
The raft has to be big enough that Juniper can ride on it safely.
Squeaks, can you go search the fort for materials that can float?
Meanwhile, I'll call our friends and see if I can gather any more information.
I'll start with Dino.
Hi, Dino.
We need a way for Juniper to join us on the lake.
Do you have any ideas?
Well, who needs to swim when you can fly?
I think you should design a way to fly Juniper across the lake.
Maybe with a paper airplane. or a really big fan.
Ooh, interesting.
Dino suggested solving a different problem.
Instead of helping Juniper float, we'd help her fly.
Engineers often consider different solutions, but in this case, I think we should focus on a raft.
Hmm, who else can I call?
Oh, Bill and Webb.
I see what you mean about Juniper needing to stay safe.
Absolutely.
Safety is very important.
You've never agreed with me in your life.
Are you feeling OK?
Well, obviously the way to make the raft safe is for it to be big enough that Juniper won't get too close to the edge.
She has to fit on it comfortably.
What?
Clearly the way to make it safe is to have a handle or a railing she can hold onto.
That's nowhere near as important as making it big enough.
Yes, it is.
Big enough!
Handle!
As usual, even though they disagree, they're both right.
In fact, we learned something from that conversation.
We determined that the raft needs to be safe for Juniper.
From talking to Bill and Webb, it seems like that means it both has to be big enough for her to fit on comfortably and to have some kind of railing or handlebar to help her stay secure.
So that's great!
I was able to gather some information that we didn't have before.
Now, where has Squeaks gone?
Wow!
All this stuff is great!
We can definitely find something here that will make an amazing raft!
Oh, Squeaks asked how we should use these things to build a raft for Juniper.
That's a great question.
It's also a question that has more than one answer.
We can make lots of different kinds of rafts using the materials we have.
We've done the first step in the process engineers use to solve problems.
We've identified the problem, and collected information.
The next step is to create a design.
That's a way we think we can solve the problem.
In this case, we'll create a design for a raft.
I want to create my own design.
That's a great idea, Sam!
Squeaks, do you want to make a design too?
Great!
Let's all think about how we can use these materials to help solve Juniper's problem and get to work on our designs.
Come back next time to do some more thinking like an engineer.
And if you want to have fun with me, Squeaks and all our friends, you can hit the subscribe button and we'll see you next time here at the Fort.
