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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this tween-oriented reality series follows two teams of high schoolers who match wits in machine-building competitions. The groups rely on collaboration and teamwork to design and create solutions to various engineering challenges, and they're always respectful of each other's ideas and willing to discuss lots of possible scenarios. What sets this series apart from other reality shows is the teens' positive attitude -- they don't get upset over losses, instead celebrating (and congratulating) their peers' ingenuity. Tweens with the building bug will love this smart series -- and with four girls in the cast, viewers will be reminded that engineering isn't just a guy thing anymore.
Families can talk about what sets this show apart from other reality programs. Do you think it even qualifies as a true "reality" show? Why or why not? Which TV shows seem the most "real" to you? Families can also discuss the show's challenges. Tweens, how would you have designed a machine with the given specifications? What if you could change the rules? What other tools or supplies would you use, and in what ways? And don't forget to touch on teamwork. How do team members brainstorm ideas? Is it easier to develop a game plan alone or with other people? What are the benefits of working with a team? Are there any drawbacks? What are some important attributes of a good team member?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Emily Ashby
What do you get when you cross four teens, two power drills, and a tricycle? If you're on the set of DESIGN SQUAD, you get the makings of a pretty impressive dragster.
This tween-oriented reality show features eight high schoolers who put their brains -- and sometimes their brawn -- to the ultimate engineering test in a competition to build a variety of machines. (Sample challenges include building a pancake cooker and flipper, a peanut butter maker, and a pump to deliver water to an 11-foot water slide.)
The four boys and four girls are split into two teams to devise solutions to the challenges, which are posed by real-life engineers. Over the course of two days, the teens brainstorm, design, and build their apparatus entirely by themselves, running performance tests, troubleshooting, and -- more often than not -- redesigning their creations when necessary. When their time is up, the teams go head-to-head with their machines, their efforts judged by a professional engineer.
In one segment, for example, professional racecar builder Dan Page challenged the teens to design dragsters from a tricycle and a wagon, using only the motors from power drills for propulsion. After some collaborative thought, the teens dismantled and redesigned their vehicles into road-worthy machines that they raced at a nearby dragway for bragging rights -- and the coveted winners' trophy.
Each member of a particular challenge's winning team racks up points that accumulate throughout the 13-week competition (the teams are shuffled and reassigned for each new contest). The teen engineer with the highest point total at the end of the series wins a $10,000 college scholarship from the Intel Foundation.
Design Squad proves that if it's done right, reality TV can be both fun and functional. Although it's a competition at heart, the show steers clear of the bad blood that the elimination process produces and focuses instead on celebrating the ingenuity and collaboration of its young engineers. Because the teams change with each new challenge, contestants must work with many different peers under ever-changing circumstances, and the result is group that takes setbacks and losses in stride and even manages to -- gulp! -- heartily congratulate the competition on jobs well done.
If your tweens are prone to thinking outside the box (or, for that matter, if they need a nudge in that direction), this fun, fast-paced series is sure to get their creative juices flowing. And it's so entertaining to watch the teams' endeavors that you just might want to tune in, too.
Fans may also enjoy Extreme Engineering and Junkyard Wars. Can't get enough of the Design Squad teams? Check out the show's Web site for more behind-the-scenes information.
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LanguageMild trash-talking between teams ("You're gonna be walking the walk when that thing doesn't work"), but it's all in good fun. |
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Social BehaviorThe cast is made up equal numbers of boys and girls and includes Asian-American and African-American teens. Occasionally girls mention that they feel less respected than the boys, saying they hear comments like "go in the kitchen," but the overall tone is light, and collaboration and teamwork are key to the teams' successes. |
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CommercialismThe Intel Foundation gets mention for sponsoring the show and the grand prize college scholarship. |
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