Engineering Solutions for a Dry Playground
The school’s playground is flooded again, and the students cannot go out to recess! Students learn about the different states of matter and how water changes. They use this knowledge, along with research about natural disasters, to come up with an engineering solution that prevents playground flooding. They plan and design a model, test it, and share results. After sharing results, they redesign and complete at least two more trials to find the optimal solution.
A playground is flooded after a storm.Copyright 2007 Joan Fareham, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pinfold_playground_flooded_-_geograph.org.uk_-_480810.jpg
Environmental engineers apply knowledge of engineering technology and science to our natural world and for the efficient use of biological resources. Environmental engineers apply engineering design and analysis to protecting natural resources, develop power systems to support our habitats, and provide environmental controls. Engineers must understand the different states of matter and the changes that water undergoes when thinking about flooding. They must keep detailed notes, plan and test multiple trials. The engineering design process that takes place in the classroom during this activity is an approximation of what engineers do in their profession.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Understand how water changes depending on the environment.
- Describe the following terms: absorption, evaporation, and erosion.
- Plan a solution to the playground flooding based on research of flooding in other geographical regions.
- Build a model to approximate and test their prevention device.
- Complete multiple trials to find optimal results.
- Present findings to a school board and/or school administration committee (optional).