Balloon Joust

Design Squad Balloon Joust

This is a great STEM activity with some good science components and LOTS of great technology and engineering components.  It turns one of our old "Mean Machines" lessons that we called "Balloon Jets" into a contest and makes it way more engaging. 

Science Concepts to teach...

Pressure  - Force spread evenly over an area.

Air Pressure is the force exerted on a given area by the weight of tiny particles of air (air molecules).

Although air molecules are invisible, they still have weight and take up space. Since there's a lot of "empty" space between air molecules, air can be compressed to fit in a smaller space. 

Wave your hand back and forth to feel the air all around you.  When you blow up a balloon you are forcing lots of those little air molecules into the balloon increasing the air pressure by “compressing the air.”

Force - A force is a push or pull upon an object resulting from the object's interaction with another object. 

Let the kids develop their technological innovations organically, responding to problems and challenges with new ideas and innovations.  At the end of the lesson, make a tee chart on the wipe board listing all of the problems or challenges they faced and the technologies they used to over come them.  

 



Here are some more ideas of things to incorporate into your activity

Have the kids draw a diagram explaining the mechanics of their balloon jouster...  mine is awesome.

Watch minutes 7-9:00 about Jet engines

   Watch :45 -2:00 to help you explain how a jet goes...

Or teach a little Medieval history

Luckily for us there is an entire history channel show available on youtube... All about Medieval Jousting.  Wikipedia it for more historical info...

Domes

Start small...

 Use gumdrops and tooth picks, spaghetti and marshmallows, corks and skewers, etc...  Try making different shaped triangle based buildings.





Create the newspaper dome once the concepts are well established.  Start with a dome the same shape as the original gumdrop dome then try something bigger and more complex.


PBS Dome directions
Detailed step by step directions to build the dome...

PBS Dome Lesson
Lesson ideas for teachable concepts about the dome you will build and links to other architectural teaching ideas, strong shapes, tessalating shapes, videos etc.

 

Of course, we have one of the world's largest domes right here in souther Indiana... West Baden Springs Hotel built in 1902.... AND it was featured on National Geographics SCIENCE show Big Bigger Biggest.  But its not posted anywhere online, except in Russian.  Watching without the sound on would be ok, or just surf around and find some videos of it on youtube.  Start the video around minute 18.50 for the section on West Baden.  

West Baden's Dome is constructed from steel triangles much like ours will be!  Studying pictures of the dome and watching the video could give kids ideas of where to go with their dome design.  

Another Dome Design Lesson

I like the suggestion to use a wooden skewer to help roll the tubes.