Impact of Pipelines on Ecosystems

This week at After School To-Go, students learned about human impacts on local ecosystems. After reviewing some vocabulary, girls discussed the Civil Engineer career. Not only do civil engineers plan and design buildings, they also evaluate their designs for feasibility and environmental impact! Girls tried transporting buckets of “oil” across the room, then evaluated the efficiency of their system. Everyone decided that building a machine would make the job easier, then got right to designing their prototypes for a low-impact pipeline!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before they began building their pipelines, girls examined the East Texas ecosystem to determine the challenges they would face. The pipelines would have to safely transport oil through forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, and plains. Girls learned about animals that lived in each environment, then began to construct their pipelines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For each point in the pipeline where their structure touched the ground, girls accounted for the loss of 50 animals from the population. Additionally, students calculated the damage done by construction crews and trucks involved in building their pipelines. Finally, girls tested their pipelines by pouring water into the structure. For each leak, students deducted 100 animals from the population. Girls realized that as engineers, they have a duty to find the balance between structural integrity and environmental impact. At Girlstart, we’re encouraging future engineers to think critically about the impact they have on plants and animals in the ecosystem!

 

 

Plastic Pollution in the Ocean

 

This week, Girlstart students learned about the extent of ocean pollution and tackled the problem head-on! At the beginning of their lesson, students learned about the Marine Engineer career, where engineers design and repair marine craft and floating structures like tugs, submarines, torpedoes, barges, and ships. Girls also reviewed vocabulary, including “gyre” – a massive, slowly rotating whirlpool of trash in the ocean. Yuck! Students tested various properties of different types of plastic and made their own mini gyres to observe the effects of ocean pollution.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, the girls watched a short “mockumentary” of the life cycle of a plastic bag. The video featured first-person views of a real-life gyre. Although the mockumentary got students laughing, it also highlighted the horrible effects of trash on marine life. Girls felt empowered to do something about the issue of ocean pollution and began to brainstorm designs for pollution pickup!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each table collaborated to create a trash pickup machine from cardstock, popsicle sticks, chenile stems, netting, and other items. It was amazing to see the creativity in each design! Girls tested their prototypes in the gyres they had created and made improvements to their machines. At Girlstart, our students are solution-focused thinkers, studying and prepping to make the world a cleaner and more beautiful place to live!

Exploring Wind Energy

This week at After School To-Go, girls learned about the blustery, breezy, brisk power of wind! Through this week’s activity, students explored the skills and duties of a wind energy engineer and designed their own turbine-powered car!

How can you move a toy car without using your hands? Group leaders encouraged their students to brainstorm creative ideas to this problem. Naturally, Girlstart students tackled the situation using their knowledge of renewable resources and suggested solar, electric, or wind energy. Next, the students formed groups to design their own wind turbines to power a toy car!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using paperclips, rulers, pencils, and cardstock, each group created a wind turbine and attached it to a toy car. Each group tested their designs by blowing on the turbine or using a fan to create a breeze. Although the turbines looked similar to each other, each car’s movement and path varied from group to group. Girls discussed the differences and suggested possible improvements. Each group tried changing the angle and speed of their breezes, then observed the effects of the change in the movement of the cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, girls put their turbines to the test in a racecar challenge! In the spirit of friendly competition, groups made final tweaks to their designs, then fanned their way to fast and furious. At Girlstart, we’re encouraging the next generation of wind engineers to envision, evaluate, and excel!