Tower breaking at Upsala Elementary – 2012

Students in the sixth grade at Upsala Elementary School recently completed a pre-engineering unit which culminated in the demolition of towers that each student constructed.

Students studied different types of bridges and steel ceiling truss designs, and how they use various geometric shapes. Next, students had to draw their blueprint.
Each student was given 1,000 cm of 3 mm by 3 mm Balsa. Their tower had to have a 20 cm by 20 cm base, and a 5 cm by 5 cm top and a height of 30 cm. The towers weighed approximately one ounce.

This year’s winners were: First Place: Cheslee McDermond 195 lbs.; Second Place: Adam Ripplinger with 175 lbs.; Third Place: Bennett Westrich with 168 lbs.