Unit 1: Purpose of Structures (Construction)
Duration of Days: 30
Students will understand the primary purposes of construction: Safety, Load-Bearing Capacity, Functionality, Aesthetics, Economics, and Sustainability.
They will know the historical evolution of materials and tools from the Stone Age to the Modern Industrial Revolution.
They will understand the physics of five major stresses: Compression, Tension, Shear, Torsion, and Bending, as well as the difference between Live and Dead Loads.
They will know the characteristics of the four major bridge types (BATS): Beams, Arches, Trusses, and Suspensions.
Students will perform tactile investigations using sponges, rubber bands, and cloth to model forces.
They will conduct extensive research on historical structural breakthroughs and "Constructions that Make You Wonder".
They will learn technical drawing skills to create Free-Body Diagrams (FBD) and bridge blueprints.
They will collaborate in teams to build a balsa wood bridge according to strict engineering specifications.
Formative: Reflections on group work, classroom load audits, and practice FBD problem sets.
Summative: A 3-4 slide research presentation on structural history, and a capstone STEM Bridge Design Challenge where bridges are tested for load capacity and efficiency.