Students will use a perceived weak material to construct something that is surprisingly strong.
Students can experiment with different shapes and configurations to see what holds the most weight.
The cube size is defined, what each student places within each 4x4 square, is up to them.
Students will use a perceived weak material to construct something that is surprisingly strong.
Students can experiment with different shapes and configurations to see what holds the most weight.
The cube size is defined, what each student places within each 4x4 square, is up to them.
Students are introduced to some basic civil engineering concepts in an exciting and interactive manner. Bridges and skyscrapers, the two most visible structures designed by civil engineers, are discussed in depth, including the design principles behind them. To help students visualize in three dimensions, one hands-on activity presents three-dimensional coordinate systems and gives students practice finding and describing points in space. After learning about skyscrapers, tower design principles and how materials absorb different types of forces, students compete to build their own newspaper towers to meet specific design criteria.The unit concludes with student groups using balsa wood and glue to design and build tower structures to withstand vertical and lateral forces.
Students learn about the manufacturing phase of the engineering design process. They start by building prototypes, which is a special type of model used to test new design ideas. Students gain experience using a variety of simple building materials, such as foam core board, balsa wood, cardstock and hot glue. They present their prototypes to the class for user testing and create prototype iterations based on feedback. (Note: Conduct this activity in the context of a design project that students are working on; this activity is Step 5 in a series of six that guide students through the engineering design loop.)
As students learn more about the manufacturing process, they use the final prototypes created in the previous activity to evaluate, design and manufacture final products. Teams work with more advanced materials and tools, such as plywood, Plexiglas, metals, epoxies, welding materials and machining tools. (Note: Conduct this activity in the context of a design project that students are working on; this activity is Step 6 in a series of six that guide students through the engineering design loop.)
This unit will introduce students to trusses. Students will follow the Engineering Design Process to build a balsa wood truss that can be tested for efficiency.Prior to assinging this project, it is reccommended that you access the Design Process Lesson available through OER authored by Matt Bova and Devon Rupp.