In some STEM subjects, it can be hard to convey the “big picture” to kids. For example, quantum physics might be very important, but it’s hard for youngsters to grasp the significance of Schrödinger's cat. (Trust us: bringing a cat into class won’t help.) With engineering, teachers get an easier ride. Sure, there’s plenty of theory behind the subject, but the awe-inspiring end results are plain to see. Skyscrapers, futuristic transport networks, manmade waterways… it doesn’t take a special interest in STEM to be amazed at what engineers around the world have accomplished.
This blog post looks at must-see engineering feats from around the world that you can use as examples when teaching technical concepts.
5 Top Engineering Marvels
Below is a short list of some of the great modern engineering marvels. We’ve kept things relatively recent, as students are unlikely to build a new Great Wall of China in their future engineering careers.
The Panama Canal
Opened in 1914, the Panama Canal revolutionized shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by allowing boats to pass through the middle of the Americas (instead of making a perilous trip around the southern tip).
From an engineering standpoint, the Panama Canal is one of the world’s most important examples of water resources engineering and hydraulic engineering. 52 million gallons of fresh water are required to move just one ship through the canal!
Building the Panama Canal wasn’t easy sailing, of course. Over the more than three decades it took to build the canal, more than 25,000 workers died — generally through jungle-borne diseases or accidents.
Activity idea: Ask students to consider how they could manipulate the geography of their town or city to improve commerce or culture.
Hoover Dam
Built during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the 726-foot Hoover Dam was (and remains) an engineering marvel thanks to its unusual construction techniques and abundant use of concrete. In fact, there’s enough concrete in the dam to pave a highway from San Francisco to New York City.
Nearly a century on, the dam is as useful as ever, serving to control floods, provide irrigation and domestic water, and generate hydroelectric power.
Activity idea: Learn how the dam was built through this National Archives video or take an immersive journey through the site with this Oculus Rift VR app.
The Golden Gate Bridge
San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge is much more than a spot for tourists to take selfies. Opened in 1937 at a cost of almost $2 billion in today’s money, the Golden Gate Bridge is no longer the longest bridge in the world, but it’s arguably still the “gold” standard for suspension bridges.
What’s the difference between a suspension bridge and other bridge types? In short, these are bridges in which the deck (surface) is hung from suspension cables attached to massive vertical suspenders, a bit like a simple rope bridge but with added tower sections.
The Golden Gate Bridge was a gigantic structural and civil engineering endeavor. Not including its concrete anchorages, the bridge weighs 840 million pounds — more than the Empire State Building.
Activity idea: Challenge students to build a stable bridge with a Blueprint Engineering kit that a programmable coding robot like Sphero BOLT+ can safely pass across.
The New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is the busiest rapid transit system in the Western world, facilitating more than two billion rides per year. It’s also one of the world’s longest subway systems with 248 miles of track.
Although chief engineer William Barclay Parsons was inspired by older subway networks like those in London and Paris, the New York City Subway was uniquely challenging due to the very hard rock below the city. This led Parsons and his team to design a relatively shallow subway, meaning workers had to delicately remove and replace an existing underground network of electric cables, telephone lines, and pipes.
Activity idea: Get students to discuss how they think an underground railway system can be built in an already densely populated city.
The Burj Khalifa
Completed in 2009, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world’s tallest structure, reaching an incredible half a mile into the sky. It’s as splendid as it is sky-scraping: the unusual Neo-futurist building incorporates elements of traditional Islamic architecture.
Besides its sheer size, the Burj Khalifa exhibits many engineering marvels, among them its unusual Y-shaped tripartite floor geometry that reduces wind forces.
Activity idea: See if students can build a tall structure using Sphero Blueprint with a strong enough base to resist strong winds (from a portable fan).
How Teachers Can Present Modern Engineering Marvels to Students
Teaching is tough work, but it’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have 21st-century classrooms. A few decades ago, students would have learned about the wonders and engineering achievements of the modern world from a textbook. Today, there are so many ways educators can introduce engineering to kids. Teachers can play HD videos, use AR/VR tools, and even take students on virtual field trips, whisking them away to the Great Pyramids of Giza with just a few clicks.
YouTube videos are great for engaging a whole class, while interactive virtual tours are ideal for letting small groups explore a subject independently.
However, be sure to give students concrete objectives before sending them on a virtual “trip.” For example, you could ask them to find out what kind of machinery was used to build a structure, how many people it took to build it, or how they would design such a structure today.
Engineering Inspiration with Sphero
Classroom tools like Sphero Blueprint allow students to recreate the world’s greatest engineering achievements in miniature — or build their own novel engineering prototypes. To learn more about how Sphero can boost STEM education in your classroom, schedule a demo today.
About the Author
The Sphero Team
The Sphero Team is comprised of current and former educators, education content and curriculum writers, product designers, engineers, executive leadership, and other experts in their fields. Learn more about who we are and what we do at https://sphero.com/pages/about-us.
