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Knowledge/Skill Building

📊 Criteria, Constraints, and Tradeoff Matrix

Gather and organize original data Analyze and interpret data Engage and critique perspectives Identify an issue or design challenge Build models, prototypes, or action plans Plan an investigation or test a design individually and c... Design, evaluate, and/or refine a solution to a complex r... HS-ETS1-1 Evaluate competing design solutions to a real-world probl... Compare and evaluate competing arguments or design soluti... Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the... Product Core Content Community Partners Essential Question Critique and Revision Submission Required

Using outbreak rates, trend lines, and user evidence, students build a decision matrix for what an effective prevention solution must do. The teacher gives just-in-time guidance on measurable criteria, realistic constraints, and tradeoff language such as cost, feasibility, clarity, access, and likely effect on transmission. Teams score at least three possible priorities and justify which criteria should carry the most weight in their context.

Plan day
Day 9
Duration
80 min
Grouping
Small Group
Steps
7 steps

Lesson plan

7 steps · 80 min
# What teachers do
1 Launch the activity by naming the decision point for teams: they must define what an effective disease-prevention solution needs to accomplish, what limits they must work within, and how they will compare options. Display a simple model of a criterion, a constraint, and a tradeoff statement using outbreak data and one historical example from the Black Death, then preview the gallery walk revision routine. (10 min)
2 Have teams gather and sort evidence from prior research into four categories on chart paper or a shared document: outbreak data and trend lines, Black Death comparison evidence, community or clinic feedback, and language-access needs. Ask teams to star the evidence that should directly shape criteria or constraints. (12 min)
3 Facilitate a mini-lesson with just-in-time guidance on writing measurable criteria and realistic constraints. Teams convert evidence into 4-6 criteria and 2-4 constraints using sentence frames such as 'Our solution must...' and 'Our solution must work within...,' including at least one criterion related to transmission reduction and one related to multilingual access or clarity. (12 min)
4 Direct teams to generate at least three possible design priorities or directions for their product, such as a multilingual campaign approach, a policy recommendation focus, or a prototype feature set. Teams label each option clearly and connect each one to a target user group and intended public health effect. (10 min)
5 Guide teams in building a weighted tradeoff matrix. They assign weights to their criteria, score each option, calculate totals, and write short evidence-based justifications that reference outbreak rates, trend patterns, stakeholder concerns, and relevant historical lessons. (16 min)
6 Run a gallery walk critique. Teams post their criteria, constraints, and matrix. Classmates leave response cards that identify one strong evidence-based choice, one question about weighting or scoring, and one suggestion tied to equity, feasibility, ethics, or language inclusion. (10 min)
7 Lead a revision and debrief. Teams review response cards, make one or two targeted revisions to criteria, weights, or scores, and complete an exit note naming their highest-priority design direction and the tradeoff they are most willing to accept. (10 min)
Preparation (10 items)
  • Prepare team folders or digital folders containing students' prior outbreak research notes, Black Death comparison evidence, community feedback notes, and any clinic partner comments gathered so far.
  • Create and display an anchor chart with clear definitions and examples of criteria, constraints, and tradeoffs, including examples related to cost, feasibility, clarity, access, safety, and likely effect on transmission.
  • Prepare a tradeoff matrix template with columns for criteria, weight, three design options, scores, totals, and evidence-based justification.
  • Prepare a short facilitator model using one sample prevention idea that shows how to turn evidence into measurable criteria and realistic constraints.
  • Print or post sentence frames for multilingual and evidence-based discussion, such as 'The data suggest...,' 'A likely constraint is...,' 'This option scores higher because...,' and 'Language access matters here because...'.
  • Set up gallery walk spaces with chart paper or digital posting areas and provide response cards with prompts for strength, question, and suggestion.
  • Pre-select 1-2 data visuals or trend lines teams can reference quickly if they need support interpreting numbers during scoring.
  • Plan group roles for equitable participation, such as facilitator, data checker, recorder, and critique reader, and have role cards ready if needed.
  • Review likely misconceptions, especially confusing criteria with features or constraints with preferences, and prepare quick clarification examples.
  • Ensure calculators, markers, sticky notes, and bilingual vocabulary supports are available for all teams.
Student-facing instructions
You will use your research, data, historical comparisons, and community feedback to decide what your disease-prevention solution should prioritize. With your team, gather your evidence from earlier activities, then sort it into categories that can help you define criteria, constraints, and tradeoffs. Your task is to write 4-6 clear criteria for success and 2-4 realistic constraints for your project. At least one criterion must address reducing transmission, and at least one must address language accessibility, clarity, or inclusion for multilingual audiences. Next, you will identify at least three possible design directions for your policy brief, campaign, or prototype. Use the tradeoff matrix to assign weights to your criteria, score each option, calculate totals, and write brief justifications using evidence from outbreak rates, trend lines, clinic or community feedback, and lessons from the Black Death comparison. Then you will post your work for a gallery walk, read peer response cards, and revise your matrix. You will need your research notes, data visuals, matrix template, writing tools, and response cards. The goal is to leave with a justified set of priorities that will guide your design brief in the next activity.