This article presents an engineering challenge that the authors have used for a number of years to kick off the science program. It immediately involves all the children, while setting the tone for inquiry and increased levels of student responsibility. The activity, entitled Construction Conundrum, is a lesson written in the design brief format and has been adapted from Gooding and Metz (2006). A design brief is a plan created to resolve a specific problem while taking into consideration related issues. Design briefs are typically structured in a five-part format: (1) "Context," a statement that provides a broad-based perspective of an issue; (2) "Scenario," a description of a plausible, real-life situation reflective of the contextual statement; (3) "Challenge," wherein the task is described; (4) "Limitations" or constraints under which the problem must be resolved; and (5) "Rules" that are used for judging the quality or efficiency of the results. While initially crafted for use in grades 4-9, this activity has also been used in the primary grades, high school classes, and even teacher workshops. This activity provides teachers with a student-centered experience that would expose something about the personalities and learning styles of the children in the classroom. It also makes students aware of the importance of accurate verbal communication and provides a number of improvement strategies along the way. (Contains 3 figures.)