Yesterday in class we had a challenge. We were divided into groups of three, and were given the task of building the tallest and most stable structure out of five sheets of newspaper and a long piece of tape. We had 20 minutes to complete the task. The final product had to be able to stand on its own and not tip over and be the tallest in the class. My group members and I had a little difficulty at first trying to decide how we can make our structure the tallest yet at the same time stable enough to stand on its own. After a few tries, we finally settled on one design.
What we did first was build the structure first, and then build a base for it. We rolled up three pieces of newspaper diagonally and attached them to each other. Once we were satisfied with the height, we worked on building a base that was strong enough to support the body. As we had previously learned in physics class, a triangular base is the strongest and can support the most weight. We then made three equal sized rolls to attach to the bottom of the structure, to create a triangular shape. However, in doing this, we faced the challenge of keeping the structure balanced. We also had another sheet of newspaper left over, so we decided to attach the bottom of the tower to the newspaper, with tape. In doing so, the base became more stable and was able to hold up the weight of the rest of the structure.
When building a tall structure, the most important part is the base, because it is the part that will hold up your creation. If it is not strong, your structure will collapse. Also the weight has to be proportionate. You can not have one side of the structure heavier than the other side, unless you have come up with a way to keep it stable.
There are also physics in building structures. You must think of proportion, weight, base, and height before you can build a structure strong enough to stand on its own.
All in all, I think that our group did a great job, considering the small amount of time we had, and the limited supplies. We did not win, however, we came very close to winning.
There was one group who was able to build the tallest tower, and they won because they learned that it is not always about rolling paper and attaching it together to make it tall, but sometimes you can attach one long light piece of newspaper to the top, which can claim the prize!
So congratulations to the winning group!
Here is the picture of our groups tower.
Here is a picture of the winning group. (Picture taken with their permission)
As you can probably see, the winning group has a long piece of newspaper attached to the top of their structure. It is light weight and didn't hold down the structure or cause it to collapse. Which is what caused this group to win. They also had a strong base, which is the most important, in order to keep their structure steady.
Thanks,
-Peggy.
When building a tall structure, the most important part is the base, because it is the part that will hold up your creation. If it is not strong, your structure will collapse. Also the weight has to be proportionate. You can not have one side of the structure heavier than the other side, unless you have come up with a way to keep it stable.
There are also physics in building structures. You must think of proportion, weight, base, and height before you can build a structure strong enough to stand on its own.
All in all, I think that our group did a great job, considering the small amount of time we had, and the limited supplies. We did not win, however, we came very close to winning.
There was one group who was able to build the tallest tower, and they won because they learned that it is not always about rolling paper and attaching it together to make it tall, but sometimes you can attach one long light piece of newspaper to the top, which can claim the prize!
So congratulations to the winning group!
Here is the picture of our groups tower.
Here is a picture of the winning group. (Picture taken with their permission)
As you can probably see, the winning group has a long piece of newspaper attached to the top of their structure. It is light weight and didn't hold down the structure or cause it to collapse. Which is what caused this group to win. They also had a strong base, which is the most important, in order to keep their structure steady.
Thanks,
-Peggy.
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