When this is asked to a classroom loaded with math/physics nerds it isn't just a question, it's a challenge. As such, it was one of the most memorable teaching moments in my high school education!
Our answer- we can build an awesome bridge out of whatever you give us!!! We're just that amazing.
Uptake: All right, so if I had you build a bridge out of balsa wood, you could make it strong enough for me to stand on?
Our answer- of course! Where's our truck load of balsa wood? Nope, not that lucky. We each got a little kit to build a small bridge that would be put through the ringer! We had some balsa wood sticks that looked like wimpy shishkabab skewers, glue, little wood blocks to go at the pressure points, and a strip of cardboard. We were told one beam of the bridge would have to hold more weight than the others and then we were let loose with all of the math and physics knowledge that our little brains could muster!!!
Some of us had brilliant dads that insisted we had to use an I-beam design. Mine also insisted that I use every last drop of glue even if it was just to coat my I-beams and theoretically make they stronger (in a world free of torsion!)
Level of Evaluation: Now I'm pretty sure this step was used to get into our heads! Our teachers would say things like, "That's a good idea, but have you thought about directional force when it comes to that beam construction?" Or, "I like that... as a good jumping off point." What!? It took me 4 days to get to what they called a jumping off point?!
Cognitive Level: I have to say that my 16 year old brain had never operated at such a high cognitive level, and my teachers, knowing what I was capable of, made sure to push me to my limits and a little bit beyond. I can honestly say that no matter the learning level of the student in the class every one of us felt challenged.
Finally we began bringing bridges, and most of them looked something like this...
There were variations of course, but you get the general idea. Then some Senior Engineering student from BYU with a sick sense of humor put them in this machine to make our faces do this...
And inevitably this happened...
As soon as your bridge broke the machine would stop applying pressure. The pressure of each piston was taken and added together to come up with a combined pressure for your bridge. I never cracked 500 lbs. That's right, my little balsa wood bridge held a combined weight of just less than 500 lbs. The current record rests somewhere around 2400 lbs! Which brings us to the final element of a great lesson...
Question Source: Well, that would totally depend on the question, wouldn't it? Was it: How much weight can a balsa wood bridge hold? How would you construct the best bridge? What would happen if I added a brace here? What will happen when this beam begins to twist? or How can I build a better bridge next year?
These questions came from all of us- teachers, students... even administrators and parents! No wonder I remember building my bridge and the lessons it taught me. It wasn't your everyday classroom lesson. It was teamwork, competition, and problem solving at its finest!
What a great question! I want to ask our engineering teacher to read this posting too. Nice connection between engineering and math.
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