HS Engineering (21-22)
Sustainable Cities
In thinking about how our communities can become more sustainable, our class researched different ways cities can be designed to consume less energy and have less of an environmental impact. Some methods we found were hydro-electric, nuclear, and solar power generation incorporated throughout/nearby the city center. We also discovered that trees and green spaces help reduce air pollution and actually keep the temperature of the city down. Finally, bike lanes and public transportation infrastructure allow for citizens to not rely on personal vehicles for commuting, cutting down emissions and energy consumption.
After conducting research, our class used tinkerCAD to design sustainable cities. We then used the 3D printers to produce models of the cities we designed.
Some examples of our tinkerCAD designs can be seen above. Then we export our files, convert to the correct file type, and print them on the 3D printer!
Popsicle Stick Bridge
To test our understanding of engineering principals, our class split into teams to see who could build the strongest bridge out of popsicles. First we conducted research on the 5 different types of bridges- arch, beam, truss, suspension, and tension bridges. Then we started to build!
The goal was to make a bridge that spanned 12 in., had 3 in. of clearance, weighed less than 100 grams, and could carry a load of 20 lbs.... Here's what the process looked like:
After a few days of building we had our final products!
Our lightest bridge weighed in at 107 grams and our strongest bridge held a load of 15 pounds! Just a tad off from our goals, but really good for just popsicle sticks and hot glue!
3D Gliders
Our next challenge was to design a 3D printed glider. This involved research into wing design, wing placement, and wing aspect ratio. The students were had to create the glider entirely from our 3D printer, and could only use the addition of paper to provide extra lift to the wings.
Java Programming- Tic Tac Toe
Students downloaded a software called IntelliJ, and then downloaded the code for a game of Tic-Tac-Toe. There was only one problem... the code was not complete. It was missing the commands to check to see if Player 1 or Player 2 has won the game after each move. As you can see to the left, a winning move would not prompt any message saying that X or O wins, and the game would not end even if there was a winner.
Students had to dive into the code to fix the checkGameWinner function. An example can be seen below- if statements were used to see if any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal connections had been made. For loops enabled students to check many conditions in an efficient way.
3D Models- Revit
Students were tasked with the challenge of created a design for a new PiSTEM School using Autodesk Revit 3D Modeling software. They started by creating the exterior shell of the building.
Next, they added the interior walls and created the floor plan of the new school. They researched standard dimensions for classrooms, offices, cafeterias, gyms, and other school spaces in order to scale the building appropriately.
Finally, students used 3D rendering to create realistic views of the school to help imagine their final products coming alive into a real built structure.
