Workshop Programme Teachers' Notes
Activities before the visit
·
Show your pupils the map of LEGOLAND Windsor. Discuss their
expectations of the visit and any concerns, e.g. what to do if they are
separated from the group or they feel unwell during the day.
·
Talk about the activities that will take place.
·
Read out the letter on the back page from the LEGOLAND Design Team
to stimulate interest in tall towers.
·
Introduce the pupils to the concept of structures.
·
Look in travel brochures for pictures of tall buildings. Encourage the
pupils to think about the factors involved in building tall structures.
Activities after the visit
·
Paper bridges
Take a piece of A4 paper and place it between two tables at
a distance of approximately 20cm. Flat, the paper will fall to the floor.
It is not very strong or stable.
Roll the paper up to form a tube, fasten it with tape, and place it
between the two tables.
By modifying the paper its stability/strength changes.
Discuss the findings.
Fold the paper into other different shapes and test its
strength/stability.
·
Towers
Make earthquake tests in the classroom using a
homemade `tiltometer'. Enlarge the tiltometer drawing,
stick it on to stiff cardboard and glue a back stand
onto the rear to hold it up.
Ask the pupils to work in groups and build a tower using
LEGO DUPLO building blocks.
To measure how earthquake-proof each tower is, place
each one in front of the tiltometer and, while holding
the base steady, tilt it along the scale. Make sure that
the bricks are joined firmly and correctly, otherwise the
test will not work properly.
Before the test, ask the pupils to predict how far along
the scale their tower will go and why.
Discuss the test results. Make a record of the level at
which each structure collapses.
Tall Towers
