Build a Big Wheel

Student Worksheet: Build Your Own Wheel

You are a team of engineers who have been given the challenge of building a "big wheel."  

 Research/Preparation Phase

1. Review the various Student Reference Sheets.  

 Planning as a Team

2. Your team has been provided with some "building materials" by your teacher.  You have dried pasta, glue, paper, cardboard, string, paperclips, and other resources.

3. Start by meeting with your team and devising a plan to build your structure.  You'll need to figure out how many pieces of each shape of pasta you'll require, how much string you require, and develop a sketch of your plan for review by your teacher.  You should consider the stages or steps that will be needed in construction to make sure the wheel stays together.

4. Write or draw your plan in the box below, including your projection for the materials you'll require to complete the construction. Present your design to the class, and explain your choice of glue. You may choose to revise your teams' plan after you receive feedback from class.  

	
Stages of Construction:

Materials Needed:

	

      Build a Big Wheel

Student Worksheet: Evaluation

 Construction Phase

5. Build your big wheel! You may need to let glue dry overnight before the wheel is completed. You may also need to build and connect certain parts before others. Consider how the London Eye was constructed in stages (www.londoneye.com/flash/BuildTheEye.swf).

6. Evaluate your teams' results, complete the evaluation worksheet, and present your findings to the class.

 Use this worksheet to evaluate your team's results in the Build a Big Wheel lesson:

1. Did you succeed in creating a "big wheel" that could turn?  If not, why did it fail?

2. Did you need to request additional or different shapes of pasta while building the wheel?  If so, what happened between the design (drawing) and the actual construction that changed your material needs?

3. Do you think that engineers have to adapt their original plans during the manufacturing process?  Why might they?

4. If you had to do it all over again, how would your planned design change?  Why?

5.  What designs or methods did you see other teams try that you thought worked well?

Student Worksheet: Evaluation (continued)

6.  Did you find that there were many designs in your classroom that met the project goal?  What does this tell you about engineering plans?

7.  Do you think you would have been able to complete this project easier if you were working alone?  Explain…

8.  How do you think the engineering designs for "big wheels" have changed over time?  What impact has the development of new materials had on the engineering plans for "big wheels?"  

9. How have these engineering improvements changed the experience of those riding on the "big wheels?"  

10.  What engineering considerations are needed in big wheel design to accommodate riders in wheelchairs?

10. Do you think that the expectations of riders have impacted the designs of "big wheels."  How have "big wheels" changed to meet these expectations?