Engineering

Helpful Hints:

For each category, we have provided several examples to get you thinking about the wide variety of topics on which you might develop a website. Remember, your website entry is only required to fit into one of the broad categories, such as Engineering.

You will notice that many of our examples include cross-cultural references or highlight international aspects of a particular topic. The criteria used to score ThinkQuest entries reward collaboration among student teams in different regions or countries, so we have provided examples that we hope will inspire you to think globally and collaboratively as you choose your topic area and develop your website.

Here is one way you might choose a topic with your team:

• Look at all six official categories. Which one is most interesting to you?
  
• Read the examples provided below. Remember, they are only examples.
  
• Then, discuss/brainstorm topic ideas:
  • Which ideas are you most excited to learn about?
  • If you’re doing ThinkQuest as part of a class, what are some subjects you will learn about this school term? In other words, can you think of a topic that links to your curriculum?
  • Are you an expert on a certain topic already? What about your friends and family? Think about all of the resources available to you.
  • Look at the ThinkQuest Library. Are there already lots of web sites about your topic? Can you think of something new?
  • Is this a good topic for collaboration—with kids from another school, community, or country?

Engineering Examples:

There are many types of engineering, including mechanical, civil, chemical, electrical and genetic. Engineering is the applied science of using the earth’s properties to meet human needs. These properties include raw materials, sources of power, and physical forces in nature. Through engineering, we create structures, machines, manufactured products and much more. In this category, consider the science, artistry and imagination that engineers use to meet our needs. You could focus on a particular innovation – it could be anything from gothic cathedrals to the modern microchip. Or, you could examine a specific area of engineering, such as the bioengineering of foods and medicines. We know you will have lots of original ideas, but here are some examples to spark your imagination.

Academic Subjects/Standards you could explore in this category: Language Arts, Technology, Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science, Earth Science, Social Studies

Example one: Roman aqueducts

The ancient Romans’ skill in civil engineering helped make them one of the most advanced civilizations of their time. One engineering marvel was the development of a sophisticated water distribution system. In any large city, the supply of water and the removal of sewage are critical issues. The Romans solved this problem with a system of large canals, called aqueducts. To begin, engineers chose a water source from which water flowed all on its own, such as a natural spring. Then, they built aqueducts to bring the water to the city. In the city, water was carried to different areas using a series of tanks, pipes, and valves. At the very end, water would flow out of the city and into a river as sewage. The entire system used a constant gradient (slope) that was carefully calculated so that water would flow at just the right speed. Ancient Rome's aqueducts delivered 38 million gallons of water to the city every day, supplying 1,200 public fountains, eleven large public baths, two man-made lakes, and hundreds of thousands of homes.

Example two: Guide dogs

Guide dog organizations breed thousands of dogs each year to help people with disabilities. However, less than half of these dogs "graduate" to become successful working dogs. Most of the dogs that fail have behavior problems or lack the qualities to be good guides. Now, guide dog organizations are working with the scientists who are mapping the dog genome. They hope to be able to identify the genetic markers that will help them breed more successful guide dogs. Guide dogs must have the ability to remain calm and focused during stressful or distracting situations. They must be healthy, intelligent, and have good sensory skills. And above all, they must have the desire to please and the willingness to work hard.

Example three: Synthetic fibers

Humans need clothing to protect them from the heat, cold, rain, and other weather conditions. Throughout most of human history, clothes were made out of natural materials, such as animal skins, silks, cotton, and wool. In 1910, chemical engineers developed the first “synthetic” (man-made) fiber. It was called rayon and was produced by squeezing wood or cotton pulp through tiny holes. In 1929, nylon was invented. It was made from “petrochemicals,” which come from coal and oil. Today, eight billion pounds of synthetic fibers are produced each year. Synthetic clothing is all around us. Polyester is used in many garments, from pants to skirts and jackets. Velcro helps hold clothes and shoes together. Spandex makes bathing suits and athletic clothing stretchy. Kevlar is used in bulletproof vests because it is strong, but extremely lightweight.

Example four: Lego Mindstorms kits

MindStorms is a line of robot kits from Lego, the Danish toy company that is famous for making plastic building bricks. The kits enable kids to build real robots that can move around obstacles, pick up objects, and even communicate over the Internet. MindStorms kits contain standard Lego bricks, a programmable brick called the RCX (the “robot brain”), motors, light and touch sensors, and special software. Kids use computers to write programs that tell the robots what to do. Once a program is transferred to the robot brain, the robot can be disconnected from the computer to function all on its own. MindStorms are not only an exciting toy—many schools also use the kits to help students learn math, design, computer science, research and writing.

Citations:

• King, Jay. “Supplying Fresh Water to Roman Cities.” Roman History, Coins, and Technology Back Pages. College of Education, San Jose State University. 10 Mar. 2004 <http://myron.sjsu.edu/romeweb/engineer/art5a.htm>.
• “Year in Review.” Home page. 30 Jun. 2003. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. 22 Mar. 2004 <http://www.guidedogs.com/about-YIR.html>.
• “Training a Dog to Be a Guide.” Home page. 30 Jun. 2003. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. 22 Mar. 2004 <http://www.guidedogs.com/train-formal.html>.
• “Current Research.” Home page. Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. 22 Mar. 2004 <http://www2.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers/cias/research.html>.
• “Synthetic Fibers: The Clothes We Wear.” Home page. University of Utah Department of Chemical Engineering. 24 Mar. 2004 <http://www.che.utah.edu/undergraduateProgram/welcome/ChemicalEng/syntheticfibers.shtml>.
• Warshall, Peter. “Inventory of Synthetic Fibers.” Whole Earth. Summer 1997. 24 Mar. 2004 <http://www.wholeearthmag.com/ArticleBin/113.html>.
• Knudsen, Jonathan. “Lego Mindstorms: Lego and MIT.” O’Reilly Network. 2000 Jan. 31. O’Reilly Media, Inc. 10 Mar. 2004 <http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2000/01/31/mindstorms/index1b.html>.
• Papert, Seymour. Mindstorms: Children, Computers and Powerful Ideas. Basic Books, 1999.