5 March, 2003

ANTARCTIC ENGINEERING

For the last few months, my 8th grade students have been designing a 96' x 56' Antarctic research station. As part of their math program, students were given the challenge to design a costal Antarctic station equipped to hold four people for a period of two years. Students began the project by conducting a needs assessment to determine what rooms were necessary and the appropriate room sizes. Next, they drew individual blueprints which were then narrowed down to team designs. The teams built 3D models of their designs, which were then used to narrow the decision to a class design. The classes voted on the best design, which was then constructed out of plywood on the school's back field. Linda Fryer, the awesome math teacher on my team, and my hard working students certainly deserve to be recognize for their hard work.

Students making a 3D model of their station blue print

Working hard on 3D models

Two young ladies proud of their completed model

Mapping out the station with string and stakes

Mrs. Fryer supervising her students who are hard at work

Cutting the rebar that will hold the station's walls

Students begin with the inner walls

Adding the station's outer walls

The completed station