116 Engineering Challenges Engineering Challenges 117FAMILY ENGINEERING FAMILY ENGINEERING

A transportation engineer can save lives by designing safer intersections. In this activity, families imagine they are transportation engineers and take on the challenge of designing an intersection that will be safer for car passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

General Supplies�ù WDSH

Supplies Per Family (one set for each family or small group)

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Estimated time: 30-40 minutes

Advance Preparation�ù Make copies of the )LYHù3RLQWVù,QWHUVHFWLRQù'HVLJQù&KDOOHQJHùù

(1 per family).

�ù Make copies of the 6PDOOù,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DS on 8 �” x 11” paper (2 per family).

�ù Assemble oneù/DUJHù,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DS per family. Copy both side A and side B on 8 �” x 11” paper and tape them together.

�ù Make color copies of the 7UDIILFù0DQDJHPHQWù7RROV on cardstock and cut in half (one half page per family).

�ù Paperclip the following handouts together for easy distribution to each family: )LYHù3RLQWVù7UDIILFù-DPù'HVLJQù&KDOOHQJHùù(on top)�ù�ù6PDOOù,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DSV�ù/DUJHù,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DS�ùandù7UDIILFù0DQDJHPHQWù7RROV.

�ù Place 2 pencils, 3-4 fine-point colored markers, scissors, and a glue stick or tape into a resealable plastic bag for easy distribution to each family.

,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DSVùand 7UDIILFù0DQDJHPHQWù7RROV are available in Appendix D.

116 Engineering Challenges Engineering Challenges 117FAMILY ENGINEERING FAMILY ENGINEERING

Activity Steps1. Ask families what they think a

transportation engineer does (see Engineering Connection).

2. Introduce the activity by explaining that transportation engineers can save lives by designing safer intersections. Ask families if they have experienced a dangerous road intersection, either as drivers, passengers, bike riders, or walkers. Ask what kinds of things make an intersection dangerous �FDUVùGULYLQJùWRRùIDVW�ùQRùVLJQV�ùQRùFURVVZDONV�ùHWF��� Ask the group to suggest ways to make intersections and streets safer �VSHHGùOLPLWV�ùVWRSùVLJQV�ùWUDIILFùVLJQDO�ùFURVVZDONV�ùELNHùODQHV�ùVLGHZDONV�ùWUDIILFùFLUFOHV�ùSHGHVWULDQùEULGJHV�ùHWF���

3. Pass out the packet of handouts and the resealable plastic bag of supplies. Have families open the /DUJHù,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DS and explain that this is an intersection where five different roads come together. Have families look at the map and discuss where people might get injured or cars might collide.

4. Tell families to imagine they are a team of transportation engineers hired to make this intersection safer for car passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Review the design challenge and show the 7UDIILFù0DQDJHPHQWù7RROV sheet that families have in their packets. Point out that they can use the small maps and pencils for planning and brainstorming their ideas and discussing safe routes for Tenesha, Juan, and Samantha. Then they can create their final design on the larger map, using colored markers and the traffic management tools. Tell families that they are not limited to just the “cut out” tools. They can add crosswalks, bridges, roundabouts, or even move a roadway in order to create a safer intersection.

Transportation engineering is a part of civil engineering. Transportation engineers are concerned with the safe and efficient movement of people and goods. They design highways,

railroads, bike paths, airports, city streets, shipping ports, and subway systems to help people travel by car, bike, train, plane, bus, and even on foot.

ENGINEERING CONNECTIOn

The first traffic light was installed in London in 1868 to control the movement of pedestrians and horse-drawn buggies. It was a lantern with red and green signals and it had to be operated manually by a policeman! Some early traffic signals also had a ‘gong’ so that drivers would see and HEAR the traffic signal. Today there are “Walk” signals at some crosswalks that have timers, telling the pedestrian how many seconds they have until the light changes.

time to walk

118 Engineering Challenges Engineering Challenges 119FAMILY ENGINEERING FAMILY ENGINEERING118 Engineering Challenges Engineering Challenges 119FAMILY ENGINEERING FAMILY ENGINEERING

5. Review the engineering design process with families and encourage them to use it while designing a safe intersection. See “The World of Engineering” chapter for more information about the engineering design process.

6. Allow families 10 minutes of planning and discussion time and then tell them that they will have 15 minutes more to create their plan on the /DUJHù,QWHUVHFWLRQù0DS.

7. After 15 minutes, ask families to share their plans with a family next to them, allowing time for both families to present their ideas.

8. Ask the families what traffic management tools were most commonly used. Which ideas would likely cost the most money? The least amount of money? Explain that engineers often have to make trade-offs in a design in order to balance different needs, including things like costs, available resources, and the impact on the environment.

Extensions f Have families draw a real intersection

in their hometown, then redesign it to make it safer using a variety of traffic management tools.

One of the world’s worst traffic jams was called the “Great Chinese Gridlock of 2010” by the New York Times. It lasted for 11 days in August of 2010 in the Hebei Province of China. Traffic congestion stretched for over 62 miles and some drivers spent 5 days getting through the traffic jam!

tough traffic

¹ 2011 Family Engineering

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1. Tenesha walks to school. After school, she walks to Izzy’s Ice Cream and then to the park, before going home.

2. Juan rides his bike to school. After school he rides to the grocery store to pick up some milk for his mom, and then goes home.

3. Samantha is driving on Cherry Street and wants to turn right onto Elm Street to get to the gas station.

Follow the engineering design process to design and test a model of a safe intersection.

Design an intersection that allows Tenesha, Juan, and Samantha safe passage as they conduct the following activities.

Choose the best design.

Draw a picture.

Identify appropriate materials.

Build solution based on plan.

Test it out.Study test results.

Modify design to make it better.

Test it out again.

What is the challenge?

Are there requirements or limitations?

What do we know already?

Brainstorm possible solutions.

Consider design options.

Imagine Plan

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Engineering Design Process

Design Challenge

FIve points trafFIc jam

Five Points Traffic Jam: Traffic Management Tools

¹ 2011 Family Engineering

Five Points Traffic Jam: Traffic Management Tools

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Five Points Traffic Jam: Small Intersection Map

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