Westlake Middle School students demonstrate structural engineering concepts

Two students test the strength of a notecard after changing its structural integrity by folding it to create ridges.

Mr. Mariani’s 6th grade students at Westlake became engineers for the day as they learned about structural engineering and design in historic architecture. They learned about the Roman Pantheon and how the design of the dome has helped it withstand the test of time. Noting the patterned design features of the ceiling, students learned how small changes can make big differences in the strength of a material. To put this to the test, they set a notecard between two books, then laid an item on top to see how well the notecard could hold it. Then, they bent the notecard into ridges and watched as the notecard held the same items, but without bending or falling.