Skip to main content

 

Building the Tallest Tower

Silhouette of a tower on an Earthquake Platform, illustrating the challenge for students to design and build a tall structure that can withstand simulated earthquakes.
A tower on the Earthquake Platform

Build the tallest tower that you can in 15 minutes. It will be the first version of your tower.

Reflecting on the Design of Your Tower

Silhouette of a tower on an Earthquake Platform, illustrating the challenge for students to design and build a tall structure that can withstand simulated earthquakes.
A tower on the Earthquake Platform

Now that you have built the initial version of your tower, take a step back and reflect on your design. Consider all of the parts of your tower's design and how they work together.

Writing in your Engineering Notebook

Example engineering notebook showing grid lines paper with lines for sketching and notetaking.
Engineering Notebook

The Recorder will document the progress of the design in the engineering notebook. Take a moment to write the following in the engineering notebook:

  • Today's date
  • The name of your project (for example, "Tallest Tower")
  • Names of everyone who worked on the project (you, teammates, etc)
  • A one or two line description of what you built
  • Two or three things you like about your design
  • Two or three things that you don't like about your design
  • Two or three things you would improve on your design if you had more time
<  Back Return to Labs Next  >