Lesson: Strong as the Weakest Link

This lesson is provided by Teachengineering.org. See below for an accompanying class activity called Leaning Tower of Pasta. Grade Level: 6 (5-7) Time Required: 50 minutes Summary: To introduce the two types of stress that materials undergo – compression and tension – students examine compressive and tensile forces and learn about bridges and skyscrapers. They [...]

Class Activity: Leaning Tower of Pasta

This activity, provided by Teachengineering.org, supplements the Strong as the Weakest Link lesson, above. Grade Level: 6 (5-7) Group Size: 2 Time Required: 45 minutes Expendable Cost Per Group: US $1 Summary: Using spaghetti and marshmallows, students experiment with different structures to determine which ones are able to handle the greatest amount of load. Their [...]