Lesson 2: Corrugation, honeycombs, and the prototype chair...

Title: Corrugation, honeycombs, and the prototype chair...

Author: A. Stillman

Subject:

Grade:

Week:

Unit/Lesson Plan #:

Unit theme:

Materials needed:

Thick honeycomb cardboard packaging. (Alternatively an empty wine box with dividers still in it. If using the wine box, show students that the box is empty by tossing it in the air. Do not preview internal structure.)

- 4 intact blocks of honeycomb, another 4 or so "dissected" so the internal structure is visible.

- Small swatches of corrugated cardboard with outside layer removed to show corrugation.

Scissors

Large index cards. 

Learning objectives:

* Review compression, cross-sectional columnar shape and spacing of columns needed to produce the greatest resistance to bucking and the greatest stability.

* Many objects and materials have an axis along which they are better at resisting compression.

* Corrugation and honeycombing are strategies for making thin, flat and flimsy materials much stronger and more able to resist compression along a certain axis.

Key Questions, Concepts, or Themes:

In yesterday's index card challenge:

1) Which hollow shape proved to best withstand buckling under vertical compression?

2) What kind of spacing of supports proved to best resist tipping?

Stage 1: Warm up using the two questions above.

Stage 2: Demo using honeycomb or wine box. Elicit notes/diagrams on honeycomb and corrugation. Elicit the importance of knowing the axis of compression.

Stage 3: Challenge students to being building prototype chairs using large index cards. Demand to see a sketch of their idea before allowing them to cut and or deform the cards.

Homework: No homework in this class?

Assessments: (attach/link copies)

__ Group assessment

__ Observation of process/student work

__ Self-assessment by student

__ Teacher generated assignment

__ Written project

__ Test/Quiz

__ Other: ____________________________________