Help Wanted!
The 2nd graders have been called upon once again! As you all know, the Three Billy Goats Gruff like to have lots of green grass to eat. This requires them having a bridge to cross. Unfortunately, there is a mean troll who is always harassing them. Instead of having to put up with that mean old troll each time they want to get some yummy grass to eat, the goats have decided to enlist the help of some civil engineers. Their job - to design and build a bridge that can support the weight of all three billy goats.
To learn more about this challenge, we used an app called Nearpod which allows me to run an interactive presentation on my projector and the kids' iPads simultaneously. We read and discussed the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, then the 2nd graders were introduced to 3 types of bridges - the beam bridge, the arch bridge, and the suspension bridge (a favorite of most :)) They also looked at example of each type of bridge, noting what they thought made them strong and what was providing support for each type. Through the app the 2nd graders also learned about the work of civil engineers.
The 2nd graders are once again using the Engineering Design Process and the 4 C's of group work to guide them.
To learn more about this challenge, we used an app called Nearpod which allows me to run an interactive presentation on my projector and the kids' iPads simultaneously. We read and discussed the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, then the 2nd graders were introduced to 3 types of bridges - the beam bridge, the arch bridge, and the suspension bridge (a favorite of most :)) They also looked at example of each type of bridge, noting what they thought made them strong and what was providing support for each type. Through the app the 2nd graders also learned about the work of civil engineers.
The 2nd graders are once again using the Engineering Design Process and the 4 C's of group work to guide them.
Unit vocabulary:
civil engineering
structures
supports
forces
loads
structure failure
resources
conservation
structures
supports
forces
loads
structure failure
resources
conservation
Time to Design and build!
With the story told and their plans in place, each group set out to build a strong, stable bridge that the goats could cross!
A Little data
Before we tested, we gathered a little data. What is the length, width, and height of your bridge? How much do you think each "goat" weighs? What is the actual weight?
Let's test!
Design Challenge: Design and build a strong, stable bridge that can support all three Billy Goats Gruff (Big, Bigger, and Biggest) at the same time. Let's see how each group did!
To wrap it up...
These civil engineers did a fabulous job! Now we know one way engineers help society!