Eiffel Tower Challenge

Shorecrest fifth graders participated in an Eiffel Tower Challenge in French class. They have learned that the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889, for the centennial of the French Revolution. It only took two years to finish and was the tallest building on earth with a height of 312 meters (986 feet) until the construction of the Empire State Building in 1931. While it was supposed to be demolished after 20 years and used to be despised by Parisians, it has become one of the most iconic monuments in France and the world. Now, seven million visitors climb its steps each year (697 steps to the second level) making it the most visited paid monument in the world.

The challenge for the students was to build a 3D model of the Eiffel Tower using only newspapers, masking tape and scissors in the Makersapce. It needed to have three levels, four arches, and had to stand on its own. Students were encouraged to use triangles in their model. They learned that triangles are the strongest shape in engineering. In fact, the Eiffel Tower has over 100 triangles in its construction

Several groups managed to build stable Eiffel Towers within the given 40 minutes. Below are pictures of different steps in the challenge and several successful towers.

Thank you to Mrs. Giroud for sharing her time and space with the French fifth grade class.

More Photos

Flickr album: Eiffel Tower Challenge, 5th grade | Height: auto | Theme: Default | Skin: Default Skin

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