Urban Infrastructure and You School/program name Date

Background Information (for facilitator) Infrastructure is the underlying foundation or framework of a system, organization, or location. It is often classified as either “hard” or “soft.” Hard infrastructure includes railroads, bridges, water systems, subway systems, and telecommunications. Soft infrastructure is human capital, or knowledge and skills, along with the schools and training programs that develop it. For example, the editors at a magazine are part of the magazine’s human capital infrastructure, as they provide knowledge and skills to run the magazine. A school of journalism is also part of the soft infrastructure of the magazine business. In general, developed nations have well-planned hard and soft infrastructure. In contrast, developing countries often suffer from inadequate infrastructure. In some extreme cases certain types of infrastructure—sanitation, for example, or schools—may be nonexistent. Related to infrastructure development, many of the environmental problems we face today are the result of human actions. Mining and burning fossil fuels, clearing land for farming and other kinds of development, and manufacturing and developing industrial products have significant consequences in addition to their intended purposes. Those consequences often prove harmful. Air and water pollution result from a variety of human activities, particularly those that depend on energy generated by the burning of fossil fuels. Deforestation and the elimination of wetlands take away habitats for a great number of organisms. All of these contribute to global warming, which increases the frequency of flooding, droughts, tornadoes, and other extreme weather in various parts of the world. Methods of conserving our natural resources include protecting habitat, reducing the harm from fossil fuel use, and using land in sustainable ways. Preventing environmental problems is cheaper than cleaning them up after the fact, but it requires the ability to foresee those problems and act on them. To this end, scientists use what they know about the causes of environmental damage, as well as new technologies, to anticipate environmental problems

Agenda Opening (30 minutes) Setting the Stage (30 minutes) Activity: Engineering Project: Crossing the Wendella River (60 minutes) Break (15 minutes) Setting the Stage (15 minutes) Activity: Virtual Lab: How Big is Your Footprint? (45 minutes) Cyber Investigations (15 minutes) Lunch (30 minutes) Recess: Bridge Relay (30 minutes) STEM-tastic Careers (30 minutes) Setting the Stage: Dream School Engineering Challenge (20 minutes) Dream School Engineering Challenge: Phase One (35 minutes) Mind Snacks (20 minutes) Dream School Engineering Challenge: Phase Two (30 minutes) STEM Camp Notebook Reflection (10 minutes) Wrap Up (15 minutes) Dive Into Digital Project (60 minutes)

Learning Objectives To explain the basic elements of urban infrastructure To determine how the environment can affect urban infrastructure To determine how urban infrastructure can affect the environment

Today’s Vocabulary Renewable Resource Infrastructure

Setting the Stage

What different types of structures make up a city?

How many different structures do you see? Video: New York City’s Rock Foundation

Activity: Engineering Project Crossing Wendella River

Crossing the Wendella River Video: Bridges

Setting the Stage

How do you think urban infrastructure can affect the environment? Video: Conserving Natural Habitats: The Example of Bluebonnet Swamp, LA

Activity: How Big Is Your Footprint?

Cyber Investigations

STEMtastic Careers

When thinking about urban development, people often think of building things. Why is demolition also an important part of urban development? What unique challenges does demolition in major cities present? Why is mining an important part of urban development? What are some important safety issues involved with careers in the demolition industry? What are some important safety issues involved with careers in the mining industry? Video: The Art of Demolition

Setting the Stage

What things are essential for your dream school? Video: The Big Five

Dream School Engineering Challenge: Phase One

Mind Snacks

Dream School Engineering Challenge: Phase Two

Notebook Reflection Based on what you have learned today about urban infrastructure and how it can affect the environment, in what type of neighborhood do you think your team’s dream school should be located? Why?

Wrap Up

Think about this… Do you think that because buildings, bridges, and other structures are made of such strong materials, they can easily withstand earthquakes? Do you think that earthquakes only happen in certain areas, and therefore it is easy to predict them?