The third Engineering lesson for the Papillion/LaVista Middle School High Ability Learners was on different forms of alternative energy. The students built towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows, taking special care to make them structurally sound. After that, they built wind turbines using paper cups, plastic spoons, masking tape, and a leaf blower. Students learned the importance of structurally sound buildings in high wind conditions as well as learning about wind energy. They moved on to learning about and building their own, energy-efficient house with various types of insulation, then tested their house for its effectiveness with the leaf blower.
