Engineer a Dam

Student Worksheet:
Applying Technology to Solve Problems

 Engineering Teamwork and Planning
You are part of a team of engineers given the challenge of building a system to dam up 5 liters of water in a classroom trough.  You'll have lots of materials to use such as cardboard, pvc pipes, tape, foil, plastic wrap, cups, straws, paper clips, wooden dowels, cotton balls, plastic sheets, clothes pins, wire, string, screen, fabric, springs, other readily available materials.

You have a base of gravel at the bottom of the trough which simulated the rocky or sandy bottom of a river bed.  You'll need to not only stop the water, but develop a system so that you can release a little at a time in a controlled way.  You'll need to stop the water, let a little come through, and stop it again.  

 Research Phase
If internet access if available, explore the forces, materials, loads, and shapes lab at the Building Big - All about Dams website and have them consider that they learn before developing their dam design. (www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab)

 Planning and Design Phase
Think about the different ways you can use the materials provided to stop the water flow.  Also, consider what mechanism you might create that would allow a little water to come through when you want it to.  On a separate piece of paper, draw a diagram of your planned dam. In the box below make a list of the parts you think you might need.  You can adjust this later and also add more materials during construction.  

Material Needed:

	
  Engineer a Dam

Student Worksheet:

 Construction Phase
Build your dam in your water trough or plastic flower box. You can test it with a little water before the full 5 liters are poured in by your teacher. Make any adjustments during construction that you like, including asking for additional materials you might need.  You can also trade materials with other teams if they have extra items you need.  

 Classroom Testing
Your teacher will test each of the dams created in your class.  They will look to see if any water escapes through the dam and also if you are able to stop - start - and stop the flow.  Be sure to watch as the dams made by other teams are tested so you can evaluate their designs and see what methods worked best.  Complete the chart below showing your results -- 30 points is the highest score.

Engineer a Dam Scoring

1. Did your dam hold the water back?  

•	10 points:  yes…no water escaped
•	5 points:  some water escaped but less than a liter
•	0 points:  dam did not hold

2.  Were you able to release water and then stop it again?

•	10 points:  yes
•	0 points: no

3.  Did your team work collaboratively on this project with everyone sharing in the planning and construction?

•	10 points:  yes
•	0 points: no

Total Score: ___________________

  Engineer a Dam

Student Worksheet: 

 Evaluation 
Complete the evaluation questions below:

1. How similar was your original design to the actual dam you built?

2. If you found you needed to make changes during the construction phase, describe why
your team decided to make revisions.

3. If you had a chance to do this project again, what would your team have done
differently?

4. Do you think you could have achieved the goal of this lesson using fewer parts or pieces of material than you did?

5.  Do you think that this activity was more rewarding to do as a team, or would you have preferred to work alone on it? Why?  

6. If you could have used one additional material (tape, glue, wood sticks, foil -- as examples) which would you choose and why?

7. Can you think of any possible negative effects of a new dam on the ecosystem of a region?