TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
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SPAGUETTI TOWERS FOURTH EDITION
SPAGUETTI TOWERS FOURTH EDITION
As a final activity of the Structures unit our 3rd ESO students made a contest that consists in building spaghetti towers using this material and marshmallows also as a final activity of the Structures unit. This yeard we did our third edition.
It encourages the design mindset and supports basic engineering principles.
The basic idea is that a team is given a handful of supplies to work with — spaghetti and marshmallows— and given 40 minutes to build the tallest possible tower in groups of four or five students.
And the point of it? The team will practice the design process that includes thinking, doing, prototyping, and iteration. This last point, iteration, may be the most important.
Our students made a great job! In case you want to do it at home, here you have some tips and steps you can try to built a successfully spaguetti tower.
Start by building pyramids with four marshmallows at the base and one at the top. Use 1/2 length strands of spaghetti to connect the base and full length strands to connect the base to the marshmallow at the top.
Next, take two completed pyramids and join them together with a ‘bottomless’ pyramid.
Connect the bases of the two pyramids with two strands of spaghetti.
Continue joining pyramids until you have three rows, each consisting of four pyramids.
Connect the tops of the pyramids with horizontal lengths of spaghetti to complete the first layer.
Build a second layer of pyramids on top of the first layer, this one will consist of two rows of three pyramids.
Start by connecting the six marshmallows at the top of layer 2 to four marshmallows in square formation. Add lots of diagonal cross braces to provide extra rigidty.
Construct two ‘flying buttresses’ on opposite sides, each made from a single marshmallow supported by spaghetti, this will help support the spire.
To make the spire connect three cubes, with a base the same size as the four marshmallows in layer 3. Add DIAGONAL cross braces to each side, and across OPPOSITE sides, otherwise the cubes will collapse.
Add two more flying buttresses, the mirror opposite to the ones you added to layer 3.
To complete the spire add a ‘bottomless pyramid’ onto the top cube, to give the spire a nice point!
Building the spire separately means you can more easily move or transport your tower. When you are ready to join them, lower the spire onto the base so the ‘flying buttresses’ are aligned.
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