Summer SAVY, Session 5 Day 5, Engineering Design (Allison) (1st-2nd)
Our guest speaker, Craig, told us about his job as a mechanical engineer. He designs HVAC systems for new buildings. He works on a team with electrical engineers and architects to fit the ducts and HVAC system into the building design and connect it to the electrical wiring system. He told students about his training and degree. He shared how he uses the engineering design process and how important it is to be a good teammate. The students asked our expert great questions!
The engineering teams were given the materials requested in their design plan along with six wooden blocks for the abutments. They worked with their team to construct the bridge. We reviewed the engineering design process before and during construction. Students learned from mistakes and used problem-solving skills to make improvements. The final product was tested with a toy car, “barge,” and metal weights.
The weather was perfect for our afternoon scavenger hunt! The students were divided into small groups and explored the Peabody campus in search of abutments, balance/symmetry, a span, columns/piers, and a bridge. They classified the bridge and used vocabulary from our studies to identify the parts of the bridge. This was a great opportunity to apply their new knowledge. You can reinforce the vocabulary and concepts by asking students to identify these features of buildings and bridges you see together. You can also reinforce the concepts of Newton’s Third Law and force by asking your child to identify forces as they play or to explain the equal and opposite reactions you observe.
We visited the other section of Engineering Design to see their bridges and they stopped by to see ours. I’m proud of all the hard work and knowledge used in designing and building the bridges. All groups successfully completed the challenge! It was a joy to teach the junior engineers this week. I hope they have some new ideas for engineering structures as they play and have a better understanding of the structures in the world around them.