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Classroom Resources > Engineering Towers | Elementary School Educator Curriculum

Engineering Towers | Elementary School Educator Curriculum

A STEAM lesson series that takes students on a journey of building towers.

Take your students through the engineering design cycle.

Students will have a chance to explore, materials, tower designs, artistic methods, science theory and engineering practices through 20 lessons.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Lead students through the lesson series.
Complete each activity in order and use handouts to support learners through the process.

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Related Materials

Complete Lessons

Projects

Project 1 Building With Materials

Explore towers and design your own.

Project 2 El Pueblo: The Watts Towers

Build a tower through the lens of different careers.

Project 3 Sculpting

Use innovation to explain how to make a sculpture out of smaller parts.

Project 4 Mediums of Sculpture

Ideate a plan if you were to make a sculpture.

Project 5 Artist, Scientist, Engineer

Look at art through the eyes of a scientist and engineer.

Project 6 The Engineering Design Process

Interact with each part of the engineering design process.

Project 7 Properties of Solids Sort

Observe and make conclusions about properties of solids.

Project 8 Parts of a Tower

Observe and identify tower nomenclature.

Project 9 Types of Joints

Use examples of joint types and develop a simple way to recall them.

Project 10 Lever Experiment

Explore the concepts of balance and symmetry and how they relate to tower construction.

Project 11 The Language of Form

Experiment with 3D space by exploring the various attributes of aesthetic form.

Project 12 Drawing of Group Design

Reflect on the concept of group design and how it impacts the design process.

Project 13 Team Roles

Improve group dynamics by assigning roles and responsibilities to learners.

Project 14 Team Plan and Task Assignments

Share the wealth by assigning tasks for learners to complete their projects.

Project 15 Building Our Tower

Devise a method of reflecting on the engineering process through the use of journaling.

Project 16 Earthquake Table Test

Devise an experiment to test the structural soundness of their tower design.

unit 17 Viewer Response

Collect evidence on the aesthetic appeal of tower design.

Project 18 Group Discussion

Reflect from evidence to inform design modifications.

Project 19 Group Presentation

Reflect and articulate the engineering design process.

Project 20 Brainstorm

Using experience to inform design, explore modifications and learned experiences in building towers.