Tuesday, December 14, 2021

The Book of Massively Epic Engineering Disasters...


The Book of Massively Epic Engineering Disasters:
33 Thrilling Experiments Based on History's Greatest Blunders
by Sean Connolly


I got this title two years ago when I decided to invest in all of Sean Connolly's books.

I first purchased his Periodic Table book (The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry) and I was so impressed by his writing -- which is a great blend of good science content plus a very kid-friendly and interesting writing style -- that I immediately went on Amazon and got them all.

Well, last week I had a 9 year old student announce that she wanted a block on Disasters. Buildings that fall down, and that sort of thing. I was a little taken aback, because I thought I didn't have any books like that, but a few days ago when I went to get something else off my shelf, oh happy day! I saw this title sitting there. And it turns out that I do have books like that! Actually, it turns out that I have a book that is absolutely perfect for what she is interested in, because it's about exactly that topic and -- as a bonus -- it contains fun science experiments sprinkled throughout. So now I don't have to spend all my Christmas break wracking my brains about how to prepare for this topic. Hurrah!

(I think there's something going on there about the 9-year change and realizing that adults can make mistakes and things can go badly wrong...
we read the book about the Bathysphere yesterday and I think she was truly disappointed that they weren't crushed to death or blown up!)


Otis and Will Discover the Deep:
The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere
by Barb Rosenstock


Anyway, here is the table of contents and I'll make some notes too if I have other books that go along with this theme. I'm sure that she is not the only child who has ever requested books about Disasters, so if anyone else has any titles to recommnd please feel free to share them! And if you're looking for natural disasters, here's the newest offering by Steve Jenkins:


Disasters by the Numbers: A Book of Infographics
by Steve Jenkins


If you don't feel that this is suitable for a MLB topic, maybe do Engineering Disasters as a Science Club theme or just give the book to your child for independent reading. We all want kids to read books they're interested in!

(note: we skipped the two about WWII because of the age of my student)


The Colossus of Rhodes
226 BCE

experiment 1: All Shook Up
(roasting pan full of Jell-O takes 2 6 oz pkgs)

experiment 2: Hold That Pose

my suggestion: talk about the Statue of Liberty before and Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome after; build a geodesic dome with Zome or Goobi


Fidenae Stadium Collapses
27 CE

experiment 3: From the Ground Up
(Plasticine works better than play dough or clay)

experiment 4: Weighing the Possibilities

my suggestion: City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction by David Macaulay is a powerful companion to this (if time permits, read it before)

    the Roman Arch material by Nienhuis Montessori is a good follow up


The Leaning Tower of Pisa
1173 CE

experiment 5: Will It Tip?

experiment 6: It's Sinking In


The Collapsing Cathedral
1284 CE

experiment 7: Flying High

my suggestion: Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction by David Macaulay goes well with this (if time permits, read it before)


The Tay Bridge Disaster
1879 CE

experiment 8: Wind Load

experiment 9: Snap, Crackle

my suggestion: Bridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects by Donna Latham


The "Unsinkable" Titanic
1912 CE

experiment 10: Staying Afloat

experiment 11: Overflow!

my suggestion: aluminum foil boat challenge instead of experiment 10


The Boston Molasses Flood
1919 CE

experiment 12: Holding Up to Pressure

experiment 13: Slow as Molasses?

my suggestion: make oobleck (2 parts cornstarch to 1 part water)


The Hindenburg Crashes
1937 CE

experiment 14: Don't Give Me Static

experiment 15: Down In Flames


The Tacoma Narrows Bridge
1940 CE

experiment 16: Damping Tactics

my suggestion: Brooklyn Bridge (Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing and Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge)


Sherman Tanks Get Stuck - SKIP
1944 CE

experiment 17: Elephant's Footprint


Flight of the "Spruce Goose" - SKIP
1947 CE

experiment 18: Pressure Drop

experiment 19: "Drag" Racing


The Plywood Skyscraper
1976 CE

experiment 20: Blowing Hot and Cold
(this experiment didn't work for us)

experiment 21: Into the Swing


Radial Tires Come Unglued
1978 CE

experiment 22: Corrosion Damage

experiment 23: Spinning Out


Whoops -- The Lake's Gone
1980 CE

experiment 24: The Violent Vortex
(this experiment didn't work for us)


The Sinclair C5 Stalls
1985 CE

experiment 25: Taking Things Wide

experiment 26: Onward and Upward?


The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
1989 CE

experiment 27: Double Hulls

my suggestion: Oil Spill Clean Up Experiment, also try human or dog hair (Oil Spill Cleanup Gets Doggone Hairy 07/15/2020)


The Paris Airport Collapse
2004 CE

experiment 28: Metal Expansion


2009 CE

Millennium Tower, San Francisco CA

This is not in the book, but it is a recent "engineering disaster" which might be interesting to study.

An inch apart: new troubles for San Francisco’s Millennium Tower
The Guardian


Chile's Trapped Miners
2010 CE

experiment 29: Stay On Target

The Incredible Story Of Chilean Miners Rescued From The 'Deep Down Dark'
NPR - Oct 29, 2014

Rescuers Pull Last Trapped Chilean Miner To Surface
NPR - Oct 13, 2010

my suggestion: for more on incredible rescues, we will end the block with the Tham Luang Cave Rescue (June & July 2018)


The Metrodome Deflates
2010 CE

experiment 30: The Pressure's On

experiment 31: Why a Dome?


The Infamous "Fryscraper"
2013 CE

experiment 32: Reflect or Absorb?

experiment 33: The Umbrella Oven

my suggestion: do NEED EnergyWorks Exploring Light 8 instead of experiment 33 (modify by adding a pouch with small mirrors glued to it)


SPECIAL NOTE:

I'm now going through this book again with my Science Club students (March, April, May 2022) and posting up-to-date notes and photos from the classroom for many of these disasters & experiments. Those notes are here:


This post contains affiliate links to materials I truly use for homeschooling. Qualifying purchases provide me with revenue. Thank you for your support!

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