Summer SAVY, Session 6 Day 2, Intro to Engineering (Green & Shuman) (5th – 6th)
After a brief overview of what we talked about yesterday, students returned to finalizing and testing their trebuchets. Then, students dove straight into Civil Engineering. In the morning, we learned how supertall skyscrapers like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia are designed and built. Students became Structural and Construction Engineers by building towers out of popsicle sticks. They applied what they had learned about buildings to create structures that could withstand an “earthquake.”
In the afternoon, we learned about some other subtypes of Civil Engineering, including Hydraulic Engineering. Because Hydraulic Engineers are responsible for the design of how water moves, they are vital to controlling river flooding, providing fresh water to cities, and designing dams. Students constructed a dam out of materials including cardboard, PVC pipes, tape, plastic cups, straws, and more!
Dinner Table Questions:
- Tell me about the design of the Burj Khalifa. What about the design makes it structurally sound?
- What do civil engineers do?
- Why did the St. Francis Dam collapse?
- How did engineers protect Venice from flooding during high sea levels?
We will be covering Mechanical Engineering tomorrow, which happens to be the field of engineering Mr. Shuman chose. He is so excited to share my career field with the class tomorrow.
Reminder: Tomorrow, we will be touring Vanderbilt University’s natural combined heat and power plant. Please send your student with closed-toed shoes and comfortable clothing for a walking tour on a summer afternoon. Sending your student with an umbrella or rain jacket is highly suggested as we will still walk there if it is raining.
