Stack It Up!
Students analyze and begin to design a pyramid. Working in engineering teams, they perform calculations to determine the area of the pyramid base, stone block volumes, and the number of blocks required for their pyramid base. They make a scaled drawing of the pyramid using graph paper.
Students analyze and design a pyramidCopyright Nina Aldin Thune http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza#/media/File:Kheops-Pyramid.jpg
Ancient engineers did not have the advanced machines we have today, but they still managed to build large structures that are still around. Before the first stone is moved, engineers design structures by exploring a variety of design solutions, making drawings, building models, using mathematics and estimating material requirements. To build any huge structure, an engineer asks and finds the answers to questions such as: What is the purpose of the structure? What will be its size and shape? How will the structure support itself? What type of material(s) should be used? How much material is needed? Where is a good location to build this structure?
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Understand that engineers always make a plan before building, and that plan is called a design.
- Understand that engineers analyze a project before attempting to construct anything.
- Understand that engineers must meet the constraints of a project, such as how far stones must be moved, how large stones can be and still be able to be moved to the pyramid construction site, etc.