Activity: Design a Winter Rooftop
Posted on January 17th, 2011 by ASEE
Students in grades K-5 observe how various roof shapes perform under the challenge of a flour “snow storm.” Students learn how engineers must accommodate climate and the environment when designing a housing structure.
Filed under: Class Activities, Grades K-5, Grades K-5 | Comments Off on Activity: Design a Winter Rooftop
Tags: Civil Engineering, Class Activities, Environmental Engineering, Grades K-5, ice, insulation, roof construction, snow
The Sustainability Workshop video series from Autodesk, an eGFI sponsor, uses animated drawings and real-world examples in short films that explain essential concepts for budding engineers. Some topics include engineering systems, green design, turning an idea into a finished product, and even why modern bicycles look so different from those built 200 years ago.
In a multipart activity, students in grades 5-9 discover different engineering disciplines and brainstorm how different engineering skills can be applied to local or world problems. This eGFI original class activity is based on the winning submission to eGFI’s innovative teaching idea contest.
The Carnegie Council announces its second Annual Student Essay Competition. The essay question: How would you improve your school so that it prepares future leaders to protect the planet? and a copy of Ethics & International Affairs: A Reader. This year, the competition is open to teachers as well as students. Prizes include $250 – $75 Amazon Gift certificate.Deadline: December 31, 2010.
The Camp-In programs at COSI Columbus described as the “ultimate indoor camping experience for girls and boys,” has taken environmental “Green” as its 2011 theme. Participants spend 19 hours immersed in all that COSI has to offer enhanced by themed workshops, an Extreme Screen film, and more. 2011 Dates: Various, Jan. – May.
In this lesson from the Peace Corps, students in grades 4-12 learn how harvesting water from fog can help people who have limited access to fresh water. They study the water challenges in Cape Verde, and the technology and benefits of fog water collectors. They then build and evaluate a own working model.
In this lesson from the Peace Corps, students in grades 3-8 learn how to generate fresh water from seawater, using the power of the sun. They study the water challenges in Cape Verde and the advantages of distilling water through a simple solar sill. They then build and evaluate a working model.
An engineer-turned-teacher, Christopher Tolbert inspires both at-risk and advanced students with challenges that convert gasoline-powered cars to run on electricity. In Tolbert’s high-octane classroom, “every student is held accountable.”
