Young Inventors at Work Class Summary 3/3/14

with Leigh Ann Yoder

Build Your Own Skyscraper!

The enthusiasm of the students is exciting!

After reading about some famous skyscrapers, we kicked off our lesson by being designers. Each team was given about 10 minutes to quickly sketch their fantasy skyscraper on poster board. They were asked to think about the purpose of their building, where it would be built, what name it would have, if it would have windows, where would the elevator(s) be, what would be on the roof, how would it be supported, etc. Each team then had one minute to present their design.

One team designed The Sports Authority of America (TSAA) located in middle America. Their building was dome shaped and would host a variety of sport on every level.

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The next team designed The Dome located in Italy. On the roof top was The Tippy Top Diner, complete with an orchestra. The entire building was made of Plexiglass for sport use and it had two outside elevators that were also made of plexiglass.

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Our next team designed the Solea Tower located in Paris. The skyscraper, also known as The Fun Tower, is based on the Cirque du Soeil and is complete with gardens, restaurants, and flowing water.

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The third team designed The Incredible Tower located in New York City. The skyscraper is shaped like the letter 'I' and would function as an apartment building.

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The final team designed the Nike Sports Universe in New York City. Their skyscraper would have floors for every sport imaginable as well as restaurants. Their design was supported by central columns which enclosed an elevator.

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The students had such a wonderful time with this activity, yet our time was too short. Many wanted to continue, so I encouraged them to work on their own designs at home.

Going Up?

Before our main challenge we had a brief reading about Elisha Otis and his invention that made the building of skyscrapers a reality. Be certain to ask your students about his invention and its impact on skyscrapers.

Our main challenge involved spaghetti and masking tape. Each team was given unlimited spaghetti, but only 8 inches of tape. Their challenge was to build the highest structure possible. The winning team (at left) came in at 24 inches!

Again, it seemed the students wanted to continue on this project. Each of them went home with a worksheet that they can use to build their own skyscrapers at home. The only supplies needed are marshmallows and spaghetti. If your student does build a skyscraper please take a photo and send to me, so I can share on Mosaic Minutes.

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Homework

****NEED TO COLLECT toilet paper and paper towel tubes******

Engineer of the Week: Archimedes
Watch a Video about Archimedes' Principle Here

Semester Project - Job Description:
Students are to research their specific engineering profession. They are encouraged to type their responses.
A good resource is:  http://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm
Another resource is:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/profile/index.html
(You need to scroll to the bottom of the page and choose your profession)

Story of Inventions (Optional):
Read chapter 7