How To Build A Strong Tower

Alpine Towers & Sustainable Cities

Skyscrapers (photosforyou, Pixabay)

Skyscrapers (photosforyou, Pixabay)

How does this marshal with my curriculum?

Students will pattern and build a model apartment building and larn how buildings such every bit these can be a solution for suburban sprawl.

Overview

Activities	Timing	Pupil Grouping	Clarification
Minds-On:Inquiry and Understand the Problem	20 minutes	Big group	Students review what internal and external forces are and begin to explore the purpose and uses of tall towers in the world.
Action:Design, Build and Test and Share a Prototype	twoscore minutes	Small group	Students design, build and examination a tall tower.
Consolidation:Tall Towers and Sustainable Cities	20 minutes	Small group	Students explore the impact of tall towers on sustainable cities as a means to reduce suburban sprawl.

This lesson can be done over a few days.

Students will:

• Learn nearly the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
• Use a collaborative technology design process and associated skills to safely pattern and build a structure
• Larn virtually the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can assist to mitigate this problem

Learning Goals

Students will:

• Learn about the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
• Use a collaborative engineering design procedure and associated skills to safely design and build a structure
• Larn nigh the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Students can:

• Place internal and external forces on towers that they take constructed through their labelled drawing and epitome testing
• Successfully create a alpine tower that meets established criteria
• Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why flat buildings can assistance to reduce it

Success Criteria

Students can:

• Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have synthetic through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
• Successfully create a tall belfry that meets established criteria
• Place bug associated with suburban sprawl and why apartment buildings can help to reduce it

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations

• Discover and record anecdotally students ability to actively heed and share ideas during big group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
• Observe and tape anecdotally students' ability to follow an engineering pattern procedure(Activity).
• Mind to and record students equally they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower(Activity).
• Notice and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their alpine towers(Action).
• Observe and record students' safety use of tools and materials(Action).

Conversations

• Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to describe their sketches in words and explicate how their ideas run into the design criteria(Action).
• Talk with students about the process of edifice their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them(Consolidation).

Products

• Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of theBuild a Tall Tower Blueprint Sketch Plan reproducible(Action).
• Students could submit completedAlpine Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-ane Exit Slip reproducibles(Consolidation).

Evidence of Pupil Learning

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations

• Discover and record anecdotally students ability to actively listen and share ideas during big group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
• Observe and tape anecdotally students' ability to follow an applied science design process(Action).
• Listen to and record students equally they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower(Activity).
• Observe and record using audio or video how students programme to go near building their alpine towers(Action).
• Observe and record students' safe utilise of tools and materials(Action).

Conversations

• Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to depict their sketches in words and explain how their ideas meet the design criteria(Activeness).
• Talk with students nearly the procedure of building their alpine towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them(Consolidation).

Products

• Students could submit their notes and drawings that are role of theBuild a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan reproducible(Activeness).
• Students could submit completedTall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-ane Exit Slip reproducibles(Consolidation).

Students will:

• Learn about the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
• Use a collaborative technology design process and associated skills to safely pattern and build a construction
• Learn about the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Learning Goals

Students will:

• Learn about the dissimilar effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
• Use a collaborative technology pattern process and associated skills to safely design and build a structure
• Learn about the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Students can:

• Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have constructed through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
• Successfully create a alpine belfry that meets established criteria
• Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why apartment buildings can assist to reduce it

Success Criteria

Students tin:

• Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have synthetic through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
• Successfully create a tall tower that meets established criteria
• Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why flat buildings can help to reduce it

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations

• Observe and record anecdotally students ability to actively listen and share ideas during large grouping discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
• Observe and record anecdotally students' ability to follow an engineering design procedure(Activity).
• Mind to and record students equally they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower(Action).
• Observe and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their tall towers(Action).
• Notice and record students' safe utilise of tools and materials(Activity).

Conversations

• Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to depict their sketches in words and explain how their ideas meet the design criteria(Action).
• Talk with students about the process of building their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them(Consolidation).

Products

• Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of theBuild a Tall Belfry Blueprint Sketch Plan reproducible(Action).
• Students could submit completedAlpine Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Sideslip reproducibles(Consolidation).

Evidence of Pupil Learning

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations

• Find and tape anecdotally students ability to actively mind and share ideas during large group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
• Observe and record anecdotally students' ability to follow an technology design process(Action).
• Mind to and record students every bit they share ideas for the criteria of the alpine tower(Action).
• Observe and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their tall towers(Action).
• Find and record students' safe use of tools and materials(Action).

Conversations

• Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to depict their sketches in words and explain how their ideas run across the design criteria(Action).
• Talk with students almost the process of edifice their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them(Consolidation).

Products

• Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of theBuild a Alpine Tower Design Sketch Program reproducible(Activity).
• Students could submit completedTall Towers & Sustainable Cities three-2-1 Exit Slip reproducibles(Consolidation).

Materials and Preparation

Material/Applied science/Setting	Quantity
Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, scientific discipline notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.) Measuring tools (e.g., rulers) Fasteners (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, packing tape, pipage cleaners, glue, string, elastic bands, twist ties) Cut/punching tools (e.chiliad., pair of scissors, sharpened pencils) Other materials (e.m., recycled newspaper or other recycled newspaper products, paper straws, arts and crafts sticks, etc. ) Items for weight(e.m., lego people or lego blocks)	For minor grouping work
Tall Belfry Checklist[Google medico] [Word medico] [PDF] Build a Alpine Tower Design Sketch Planreproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducible [Google dr.] [Word medico] [PDF]	1 per group
Tall Towers & Sustainable Citiesslideshow [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]	For instructor use

Materials

Material/Applied science/Setting	Quantity
Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, scientific discipline notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.) Measuring tools (e.g., rulers) Fasteners (e.thousand., masking record, duct tape, packing tape, pipage cleaners, mucilage, string, elastic bands, twist ties) Cutting/punching tools (e.thousand., scissors, sharpened pencils) Other materials (eastward.chiliad., recycled newspaper or other recycled paper products, paper straws, craft sticks, etc. ) Items for weight(due east.g., lego people or lego blocks)	For small grouping work
Tall Tower Checklist[Google physician] [Word doc] [PDF] Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Programreproducible [Google doc] [Word doctor] [PDF] Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-two-1 Exit Slip reproducible [Google doc] [Give-and-take doc] [PDF]	1 per group
Alpine Towers & Sustainable Citiesslideshow [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]	For teacher use

• Collect the materials that students volition use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
• Demonstrate how to safely and correctly use all the tools that are provided.
• Familiarize yourself with the Blueprint & Build (Engineering science design) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
• Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.

Preparation

• Collect the materials that students will use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not rubber or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
• Demonstrate how to safely and correctly utilize all the tools that are provided.
• Familiarize yourself with the Blueprint & Build (Applied science blueprint) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
• Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.

• Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

Educatee Prior Cognition and Skills

• Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

Cloth/Technology/Setting	Quantity
Designing and recording tools (e.chiliad., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, science notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.) Measuring tools (e.g., rulers) Fasteners (e.chiliad., masking tape, duct record, packing tape, piping cleaners, glue, string, elastic bands, twist ties) Cut/punching tools (east.g., scissors, sharpened pencils) Other materials (due east.chiliad., recycled newspaper or other recycled newspaper products, paper straws, arts and crafts sticks, etc. ) Items for weight(e.g., lego people or lego blocks)	For small group work
Alpine Tower Checklist[Google dr.] [Word doc] [PDF] Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Planreproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] Alpine Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Get out Slip reproducible [Google md] [Word doc] [PDF]	1 per group
Alpine Towers & Sustainable Citiesslideshow [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]	For instructor use

Materials

Material/Engineering/Setting	Quantity
Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, scientific discipline notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, clay, etc.) Measuring tools (due east.k., rulers) Fasteners (due east.g., masking tape, duct tape, packing record, pipage cleaners, gum, cord, elastic bands, twist ties) Cut/punching tools (east.thousand., pair of scissors, sharpened pencils) Other materials (e.g., recycled newspaper or other recycled paper products, paper straws, craft sticks, etc. ) Items for weight(e.g., lego people or lego blocks)	For pocket-sized group work
Tall Tower Checklist[Google doctor] [Word physician] [PDF] Build a Alpine Tower Design Sketch Planreproducible [Google doc] [Discussion md] [PDF] Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities iii-2-one Exit Sideslip reproducible [Google doc] [Give-and-take doc] [PDF]	1 per group
Tall Towers & Sustainable Citiesslideshow [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]	For teacher use

• Collect the materials that students will apply to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cutting in the classroom.
• Demonstrate how to safely and correctly utilise all the tools that are provided.
• Familiarize yourself with the Design & Build (Applied science blueprint) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
• Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.

Preparation

• Collect the materials that students will use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
• Demonstrate how to safely and correctly use all the tools that are provided.
• Familiarize yourself with the Blueprint & Build (Applied science design) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
• Review the slideshow in advance and then yous are familiar with where the animations occur.

• Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

Educatee Prior Knowledge and Skills

• Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

Teaching and Learning Activities

This icon indicates potential cess opportunities

Minds-On: Research and Empathize the Trouble (10 minutes)

Instructions	Teaching Tips
Activate prior noesis by request students to describe what a tower is and to name examples of tall towers that they know. During the discussion utilise a search engine to look up some of the towers that come up up in conversation with the students.	Community Connections Encourage students to share examples from countries or places that have significance to them as well as whatsoever they have seen while travelling.
Review the concepts of internal and external forces. In doing so, you may wish to prove students this video that explains the external forces interim on structures and this video that explains the internal forces. It would also be useful to review the types of geometric shapes found in structures.	Idea Y'all could demonstrate how external forces could be applied by angle or twisting a plastic ruler, stretching a slinky toy or squeezing a sponge. Discussions Some discussion prompts tin include: "What is an external strength?" "Where practise external forces happen?" "What is an internal forcefulness?" "Where do external forces happen?"

Action: Design, Build and Test and Share Image (40-l

minutes)

Instructions	Teaching Tips
Go through theTall Towers & Sustainable Citiesslideshow with students [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]. Use the title of each slide every bit a guide for classroom discussion. Showtime slide of the Alpine Towers & Sustainable Cities slideshow (©2022 Let's Talk Scientific discipline). Interruption the slideshow on slide 6for students to begin the Design and Build activity. The final slides will be used during the consolidation activity.	Images and Videos For students who are visually dumb, use thedescriptions provided in the alt text to depict the images. You could also use manipulatives to support students with low vision.
Equally a class, have students co-construct success criteria that their prototype alpine tower must meet. Annotation: Some suggested criteria to brand the process and upshot more successful: Tower must utilise a minimum of ii different geometrical shapes in its structure Tower must have as many floors as possible Tower must be stable (i.e., not tip over) Each floor must be able to bear a sure corporeality of weight (e.g., LEGO® people or LEGO® blocks) Similar weights should be used past all students to ensure a fair comparison Belfry must be congenital out of the provided materials and fasteners only Tower must be free-standing and not attached to any external structures or supports (e.grand. walls, desks, ceiling), with the exception of the floor if desired Students could utilise theTall Tower Checklist[Google doc] [Give-and-take doc] [PDF] as a fashion to ensure their prototype fits the success criteria. Tall Belfry Checklist reproducible (©2022 Let's Talk Scientific discipline).	Discussions During brainstorming, ask students questions almost how they can successfully accomplish this outcome. Some potential questions could exist: During brainstorming, ask students questions about how they tin can successfully attain this result. Some potential questions could be: "What kinds of challenges do y'all think you could face?" "What connecting materials are you lot going to use?" "What tools might y'all demand for building the belfry?" "What things could y'all look at as inspiration for your tower pattern?" Idea The checklist tin can be modified to meet the criteria that are chosen. Idea The engineers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc. who build buildings in the real world, take to follow specifications to ensure prophylactic of the people living or working in the building also equally features the person paying for the building wants included. Checklists, such equally this, are often used to brand sure cypher is missed in a existent globe build. Have students do making checklists and brainstorm what they think engineers would include.
Have students complete theBuild a Alpine Tower Pattern Sketch Planreproducible [Google doc] [Discussion doc] [PDF]. Starting time folio of the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan (©2022 Let's Talk Science).	Idea On a whiteboard or chalkboard demonstrate how to label a blueprint image. Show students how to label the materials they will be using and the dissimilar parts of the design. Ensure students sympathize how to include measurements on their design plan. Thought Students could apply a digital plan such as Google Depict or Jamboard to pattern their prototypes. Discussions You could encourage and guide the students' engineering science design process with the following questions: "Why do engineers label all of the parts of their blueprint sketches?" "How are you going to stand for each part of the tower construction in the design sketch?" "How will you get the tower to remain stable and non tip over as it is existence built?" "How will you get your tower to agree weight?"
Take students build their tall tower based on the Pattern Sketch Plan. As they build the tower, have them apply the reminders from the Design Sketch Plan to test the strength of the tower as they work, and encourage them to document this process and revise if required. On the final page of the plan, have students draw an paradigm, or add a photograph, of their terminal belfry. Students volition label the drawing showing the locations of internal and external forces. Example belfry with 3 floors and bolts used as standardized weights (©2022 Let's Talk Scientific discipline). Prototype - Text Version Shown is a colour photograph of a tower made from newspaper, straws and tape, on the floor. The tower has beams and columns made from straws taped together. The roof and floor of each storey is made from white paper. Piles of metal basics counterbalance down the second and tertiary storeys.	Idea As students build their towers, take them test if each floor of the building can bear weight by having them place LEGO® people or LEGO® blocks on them. Idea Students could describe the forces on their towers in the course of a video, such as flipgrid.
After confirming the towers encounter the listed requirements, use a metre stick or measuring tape, tape the heights of each of the towers and recognize the winning team.	Idea In the construction of large, complex buildings, much of the work done in planning, designing and making sure the work is done according to the specifications and requirements, is carried out past Ceremonious Engineers. These are people who use their scientific knowledge of forces and properties of materials to solve real globe problems such equally building a tower that does not fall downwards. Engineers apply the knowledge created by scientists to build engineering science to solve real world bug. In a whole class brainstorm, ask students to list equally many different types of jobs people would practice in building a real skyscraper. The list should include architects, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, engineers, people who pour concrete, people who weld metal frames, people who proceed the budgets, people who brand sure everyone gets paid, etc.

Consolidation: Tall Towers and Sustainable Cities (20 minutes)

Instructions	Teaching Tips
Open up theAlpine Towers& Sustainable Citiesslideshow [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]on slide 7. Use the championship of each slide as a guide for classroom discussion. Slide vii of the Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities slideshow (©2022 Allow's Talk Scientific discipline).	Idea Students could share their responses orally or using drawings instead of, or in improver to, writing.
Students could make full out theAlpine Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-ii-1 Exit Slip reproducible [Google dr.] [Word md] [PDF]. 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducible (©2022 Allow's Talk Science).

Background Information for Teachers

Tall Towers

Tridel apartment buildings (Source: ChadPerez49 [CC BY-SA three.0] via Wikimedia Commons).

Paradigm - Text Version

Shown is a colour photograph of 2 large buildings with many windows and balconies.

The camera looks beyond a street at two wide rectangular buildings of 15 to 20 storeys each. They are biscuit with wide windows that gleam with reflected sun. The lower storeys are obscured by evergreen trees, with street lights and ability lines in forepart of them.

Boosted Resources

Reproducibles and Media

Scientific discipline

• Students could consider ways to brand their structures more than resistant to external forces, such every bit wind. They could and then modify their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

• Students could write a sample letter to a urban center quango advocating for the building of more than apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

• Students could measure and tape the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (e.g., a table). For case, students may record:
  • the dimensions of the tower
  • the length of pieces of material
  • the load the tower can support
• Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could make up one's mind the expanse that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and summate how much area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

• Students could blueprint flat buildings using the Minecraft: Educational activity Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are bachelor through YouTube.

Visual Arts

• Students could embellish their structure to brand them look like real flat buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Extensions

Science

• Students could consider ways to make their structures more resistant to external forces, such as wind. They could then modify their structures and examination using a fan.

Literacy

• Students could write a sample letter to a city council advocating for the building of more apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

• Students could measure and tape the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (eastward.g., a tabular array). For instance, students may record:
  • the dimensions of the tower
  • the length of pieces of textile
  • the load the belfry can back up
• Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to correspond houses. They could determine the area that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an flat building and calculate how much area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

• Students could design apartment buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

• Students could embellish their structure to brand them await like real flat buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Acquire More than

References

Reproducibles and Media

Scientific discipline

• Students could consider ways to make their structures more than resistant to external forces, such every bit wind. They could then change their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

• Students could write a sample alphabetic character to a city council advocating for the building of more than apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

• Students could measure out and record the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the information using a variety of methods (east.1000., a table). For instance, students may record:
  • the dimensions of the tower
  • the length of pieces of cloth
  • the load the tower can support
• Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could determine the area that the blocks occupy. They could and then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and summate how much surface area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

• Students could design flat buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

• Students could embellish their structure to make them look similar existent apartment buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Extensions

Science

• Students could consider ways to make their structures more resistant to external forces, such as air current. They could then alter their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

• Students could write a sample letter of the alphabet to a city quango advocating for the building of more apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

• Students could measure and record the length, width, superlative and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (e.k., a table). For example, students may record:
  • the dimensions of the belfry
  • the length of pieces of textile
  • the load the belfry can support
• Students could create boondocks plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could determine the surface area that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and summate how much expanse was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

• Students could design apartment buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

• Students could embellish their structure to make them look like real flat buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Learn More

References

Source: https://letstalkscience.ca/educational-resources/lessons/tall-towers-sustainable-cities

Share this post