What is Load

The next generation science standards promote the teaching of engineering skills including the designing, testing, and building of models. Tower building can yield real world experience that not only provides the student with physics and mathematics through motion and stability but also through the explanation of the use of models and the engineering practice of design, redesign, and testing of these models. Tia Pliskow used the project of building a tower with her middle school students in order to provide a cooperative team long-term project. She focused first on the design, using background information on existing towers. She required each team to design their tower first using graph paper and scale. This process stressed the need for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. The case included in this article expands her process by including a cost analysis attempting to promote real world engineering, links to more content, and final project photos. In addition, by building a shake platform, a test for the tower is added.