Activity (Hands-On)Grades 6 - 8
Three-Tower Types Challenge: Tower Investigation and the Egg
Towers have been a part of developed society for centuries, serving a variety of purposes, from watch towers to modern cell towers. In this activity, student groups design and build three types of towers (guyed or cable-supported, free-standing or self-standing, and monopole), engineering them to meet the requirements that they hold an egg one foot high for 15 seconds.
Students investigate towersCopyright Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/etihad-towers-abu-dhabi-skyscraper-289975/
Engineering designs are subject to requirements and constraints, often including limitations on time, materials and budget, and specifications for size, strength, materials, capacity, etc. Engineers design different types of towers to best suit different purposes.
- Follow the steps of the engineering design process to create an egg holder at the top of tower.
- Parts of a structure.
- Types of towers and comparisons.
- Safe use of tools and machines.
- Forces that must be taken into consideration when building structures.