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From Catapults to Bridges: Building with Sustainable Materials

Led by the Middle School Service and Engineering Departments, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students participated in a hands-on sustainability exercise during Division Lab this week.
The assignment asked students to consider climate sustainability and become problem solvers in the reduce, reuse, recycle world. MS students focused on "reusable" materials with an Engineering focus and explored ways to reuse cardboard for a simple and fun task. 

The department built the lesson on the experiential art movement TASK, inspired by artist Oliver Herring. TASK is an improvisational event with a simple structure and very few rules. It is also a platform for people to express and test their own ideas in an environment without failure and success. Using the engineering design process (informally), students were asked to re-use cardboard while engaging in a TASK.

Modeling professional engineering behaviors, students sought ways to reduce waste and reuse difficult disposal materials.

Some of the tasks students performed: 
Make a tunnel from one classroom to the other
Design a ball gown, suit, and hat
Build a land animal
Build a car
Construct a toddler-sized lemonade stand, 
Make something that rolls
Create snakeskin 
Build a nautilus
Weave a web
Make a cactus (with glochids)
Build a truss bridge for an ant

All in all, it was a productive session with students thinking about sustainability in a collaborative and creative way.
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