Credits:

This lesson and activity were developed at California University of Pennsylvania by Technology Education majors in Structural Design course. This lesson and activity was worked under the supervision of Dr. Mark Nowak.

The students whodeveloped this lesson and activity included:

This lesson and lab activity was developed at California University of Pennsylvaniapg. 1

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This lesson and lab activity was developed at California University of Pennsylvaniapg. 1

Table of Contents

Lesson and Activity OverviewPage4

  • Description of Lesson and ActivityPage4
  • Grade LevelPage4
  • Time Needed for Teaching Lesson and ActivityPage4

ObjectivesPage5

PA StandardsPage5

ITEEA StandardsPage5

Safety ConsiderationsPage6

Teaching StrategiesPage7

Set Up InformationPage7

Background InformationPage8

  • Lecture ContentPage8
  • PowerPoint Presentation – Notes PagesPage9

Equipment and Supplies ListPage10

STEM ActivityPage 11

  • Background InformationPage 12
  • Evaluation RubricPage13
  • ProceduresPage14
  • WorksheetsPage15
  • ConclusionsPage16
  • Supply Inventory ListPage17
  • Post-TestPage18

Evaluation Information

  • Evaluation OverviewPage19
  • Quizzes with AnswersPage20
  • Tests with AnswersPage21

References and ResourcesPage22

Lesson and Activity Overview

Description of Lesson and Activity

This lesson and activity focus on the application of engineering principles to the design of structures. It is….

Grade Level

This lesson and activity are appropriate to be taught at the middle school level. The content is aligned with the PA Standards for grades 6-9. The content and activity could be revised by removing the math applications to make it appropriate for the elementary school level. It could be altered by adding a section on structural analysis of tension and compression forces acting on the construction elements to make it appropriate for the high school level.

Time Needed for Teaching Lesson and Activity

Total time needed:Six classes of approximately 45 minutes each.

Time needed for lesson:Two classes of approximately 45 minutes each to introduce the lesson and provide the necessary background information.

One class of approximately 45 minutes to administer the test and summarize the lesson and activity.

Time needed for activity:Three classes of approximately 45 minutes each to introduce, administer and conclude the activity.

Objectives

Upon completion of this lab activity students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate the connections between Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
  • Determine the amount stress exerted on a structural component by forces such as tension and compression.
  • Predict if a structural component will be able to withstand specified loads or if the component will fail.
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science and Technology

3.1.12B Apply concepts of models as a method to predict and understand science and technology.

3.6.12A: Analyze biotechnologies that relate to propagating, growing, maintaining, adapting, treating, and converting.

3.7.12B: Evaluate appropriate instruments and apparatuses to accurately measure materials and processes.

International Technology and Engineering Education Association

Standards for Technological Literacy

Standard 3:Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.

Standard 5:Students will develop an understanding of the effects of technology on the environment.

Standard 15:Students will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use agricultural and related biotechnologies.

Safety Considerations

The following guidelines are recommended while performing the activity related to this content.

  • The instructor should perform the following safety checks before issuing any supplies or equipment to the students:
  • Verify that each student has passed the safety tests for each piece of equipment they will be using for the activity.
  • Inspect the safety guards for each piece of equipment they will be using for the activity.
  • Verify that the emergency stop switch is function properly.
  • Inspect tools for damage, dull blades or ….
  • Inspect chemicals for hazardous substances by reviewing their MSDS.
  • Remind the students of the importance of the following safety rules and monitor them during the activity:
  • Safety glasses must be worn at all times when they are in the lab and the power is on.
  • Long hair and loose clothing must be secured while in the lab and using equipment and machines.

Teaching Strategies

  • Select appropriate examples or illustrations.
  • Organize your points for clarity.
  • Use multiple means to deliver instruction.
  • Extend thinking through structured collaboration.
  • Develop student’s capacity by modeling.
  • Do a demonstration so students know what results they should get when testing the components.

Set up Information

  • Make sufficient sample structural componentsfor demonstrations and student activity..
  • Gather supplies and separate them into kits for each lab group.

Background Information

Lecture Content

Introduction

The lesson we will be starting today is on engineering principles as they relate to structural design. This is a very important topic because…..

History

As we look back at the design of structures throughout history we can find many examples which were successful and many which were failures. The reasons for the success or failure of these structures and be determined by analyzing determining if the designers followed proper design principles.Examples of failures include …..

Impacts

The proper application of engineering principles has positive and negative, expected and unexpected, current and future potential impacts on the environment, society, economy and other technologies. Among them are ….

Future Implications

While this topic is important today, it is also important that we are aware of its implications for the future. Failure to adhere to proper engineering principles could lead to severe consequences in terms of loss of life and economic hardship if a structure such as a dam …..

Summary/Conclusion

As we have learned through this lesson, the field of ….

PowerPoint Presentation – Notes Pages

Equipment and Supplies List

(1)Structural DesignText Book

Equipment

(1)Stress analyzer

(1)Digital scale

(2)Tape measures per team

Supplies(per team)

(1)Bottle of glue

(40)Popsicle (craft) sticks

(2)I-beams of each cross dimension

STEM Activity

Engineering Principles


Background Information

The activity we will be starting today is designed to reinforce the content we have covered in the class over the last two days on engineering principles as they relate to structural design. This activity will provide hands-on applications of…..

Evaluation Rubric

Category / Exceptional 10-8 / Average 7-5 / Below Average 4-0
Evidence of performance in completing the activities / Complete and thorough information documenting the completion of a majority of the activities / Fairly complete documenting of most of the lab activities / Information is not complete and only some of the activities were completed
Evidence of time put into activities / Students spend all or most of the time allowed actually working on required material / Students spend half of the time allowed actually working on required material / Students spend little to no time working on any of the required material.
Evidence of following safety guidelines / Students follow safety guidelines / Students partially follow guidelines / Students do not follow guidelines
Cleanliness/Organization / Students clean up after completing the activities / Students partially clean up after the activities / Students do not clean up after the activities

Procedures

Once the teacher has completed reviewing the safety rules follow these procedures to aid you in successfully completing the activity:

  1. Put on your safety glasses and wear them until the teacher tells you it is safe to remove them.
  2. Send one representative from your lab group to pick up a set of materials needed for this activity.
  3. Fill out the group member names on the worksheet provided for this activity.
  4. Construct …..
  5. Measure …

Worksheet

Activity Title: / Engineering Principles
Team Members

Complete the following information as you progress through the activity:

Stress Test Results / Tension
Measurement / Compression
Measurement
Test Sample #1
Test Sample #2
Test Sample #3
Based on the results of the test results recorded above, at what load would you expect a sample with a cross dimension of 8” x 16” to fail?
If you were designing a building that was six stories tall and constructed out of steel I-beams and a masonry veneer, what size should the foundation be if the soil consisted of shale?

Conclusion

Once the class has completed the lab activity:

  1. Tell the groups to complete the inventory sheets provided with their lab supplies.
  2. Instruct them to begin cleanup of the lab by returning all tools to their storage location and then cleaning up their workstations by …..
  3. Inspect the lab and collect the inventory sheets.
  4. Have the class return to the classroom area.
  5. Review the progress and results of the activity.
  6. Answer questions groups or individuals may have.
  7. Remind the class that there will be a test on the materials covered in the class and reinforced through the activity in the next class.

Supplies Inventory Sheet

Complete this inventory sheet once you have received your materials and again at the end of the lab activity.

Supplies(per team)
Item description / Quantity at start of lab activity / Quantity at end of lab activity
Bottle of glue
Popsicle (craft) sticks
I-beams of each cross dimension
Tape measures
Post Test / Engineering Principles
Student Name:
  1. True or False:Failure to adhere to engineering principles is the leading cause of structural failure in buildings.
  1. What affect cross dimensional size have on the strength of structural components?
  1. Is the temperature a factor which needs to be considered in designing structural components? And if so, explain why.
  1. What are some of the ways in which engineers reinforce and strengthen structural components:

Evaluation Overview

Student: ______Student: ______Overall Score ___/50_

Student: ______Student: ______

Upon completion of this lesson and activity you will be evaluated on the following criteria:

Criteria / Maximum Points / Points Earned
Quiz / 20
Lab Activity Worksheet / 40
Evidence of following safety guidelines / 5
Cleanliness/Organization / 5
Test / 30
Total / 100

Quiz (answer key)

  1. Is the temperature a factor which needs to be considered in designing structural components? And if so, explain why.

Yes.

As the temperature increases, the period of elongation is decreased by a factor of ….

As the temperature increases, the period of elongation is decreased by a factor of ….

  1. What are some of the ways in which engineers reinforce and strengthen structural components:
  2. By adding re-bar
  3. Increasing the cross dimensional size of …
  4. By …

Post Test (answer key)

  1. True or False:Failure to adhere to engineering principles is the leading cause of structural failure in buildings.
  1. What affect cross dimensional size have on the strength of structural components?

If the cross dimensional size is increased the strength will ….

References

The following are websites that will assist you and your students in gaining information and the successful completion of this unit.

Buell, P., & Girard, J. (2003). Chemistry rundamentals an environmental perspective. 2nd ed. Sudbury, Ma: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Dickey, E. C. (2004). Retrieved Dec. 06, 2005, from Drinking Water: Hard Water

Web site:

Dissolved oxygen technical education. (1996). Retrieved Dec. 06, 2005, from DO Probes

Resources

Materials and supplies for this activity may be purchased from most local hardware stores and big box stores like K-Mart or Wal-Mart.

Plastic supplies and containers may be purchased from:

Consolidated Plastics Company, Inc.

8181 Darrow Road

Twinsburg, OH 44087

Phone: 1-800-362-1000

Instrumentation may be purchased from:

Carolina Biological Supply Company

2700 York Road

Burlington, NC27215-3398

Phone: 1-800-334-5551

This lesson and lab activity was developed at California University of Pennsylvaniapg. 1