Engineering Map of America
Posted on June 19th, 2014 by Mary Lord
What do the Trans-Alaska pipeline, Brooklyn Bridge, and aviatrix Amelia Earhart have in common? They’re all featured on a new, interactive map of America’s greatest engineering feats and engineering-education milestones developed by PBS’s American Experience with organizations like the American Society for Engineering Education.
U.S. Geological Survey/photo of trans-Alaskan pipeline by Dave Houseknecht
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In this activity, students in grades 9-11 learn how engineers harness the energy of the wind by following the engineering design process to create and test two prototype wind turbines to see which works best. They also learn about where to place a wind turbine for maximum effectiveness, and to weigh the advantages and disadvantages compared with other energy sources.
It takes host cities a lot of time, money, and engineering to prepare for the Olympics, and Sochi, the Russian seaside resort that will welcome athletes and fans from around the world this February, is no exception. Along with luge runs and ice arenas, the area’s 218 Olympic projects include a new high-speed rail and seaport.
“Engineering Tomorrow’s Cities,” the theme of the Technology Students Association’s 2014 National Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) Competition, asks middle and high school students to address such urgent societal needs as fresh water supplies and green space. The daylong competition will be held at the TSA annual conference in Washington, D.C., June 27 to July 1.
Few senior design projects ever go further than the classroom. Not so for four Calvin College civil and environmental engineering students. Their capstone project – a disaster shelter – took top honors in a national contest.
Rust is a big problem for bridges, ships, and other metal structures. It’s also a fascinating challenge for engineers and scientists, as middle and high school visitors to “Corrosion: The Silent Menace,” a new exhibit at the Orlando Science Center in Florida, will discover.
In this activity, student teams learn about construction and engineering design by building a domed structure with an internal frame that is strong enough to support 120 grams of coins or candy on top. They present their domes to the class and complete reflections on the lessons learned.
In this week-long activity, student teams in grades 5 – 7 study the effects of evaporation by observing and measuring the ongoing evaporation of water in pans that contain soil or other variables, then then assess what factors may affect evaporation.
As one of the worst droughts in decades continues to shrivel reservoirs and sear fields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated more than half of all counties – 1,584 in 32 states – primary disaster areas this growing season. While the dry, hot spell has decimated agriculture, it also has strained the steel, asphalt, and other engineered parts of the nation’s infrastructure.
