Race to the Top! Modeling Skyscrapers
Students use a set number of Kapla blocks to make the tallest, weight-bearing towers possible.Copyright 2015 Elementary MESA Day Competition, University of California Davis
Working individually or in pairs, students compete to design, create, test and redesign free-standing, weight-bearing towers using Kapla® wooden blocks. The challenge is to build the tallest tower while meeting the design criteria and minimizing the amount of material used—all within a time limit. Students experiment with different geometric shapes used in structural designs and determine how design choices affect the height and strength of structures, becoming comfortable with the concepts of structural members and modeling. This activity is part of a unit in which multiple activities are brought together for an all-day school/multi-school concluding “engineering field day” competition.
Every day, engineers encounter challenges, perhaps to design the newest gadget or the tallest skyscraper or other large structures—but always with specific design constraints. The taller the skyscraper or the larger the structure, the more material required to support it. However, engineers are able to design large structures that minimize the material used, while maximizing the size. In this activity, students act as structural engineers as they design, build and test models of free-standing, weight-bearing towers that meet design objectives within limitations.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe and design models for free-standing weight-bearing towers.
- Identify effective geometric shapes used in tower design.
- List several factors that engineers consider when designing tall structures.