EDUCATION PROGRAM
Under Pressure: Engineering Safe Water Access
Grade Range: 8-12
Duration: 2 hours
In this interactive STEM program, students will recognize that the complex engines and pump systems at the Waterworks are actually just basic open fluid systems
They will understand the design challenges that prompted the construction of the Chestnut Hill High-Service Pumping Station in 1887 and the construction of the Leavitt Engine eight years later. Students will witness the developments made in steam engine and pump technology over time while examining the mechanics of the three engines and pump systems on site and then, work in groups to build a simple water pump of their own.
$5 per student.
Enduring Understanding
Though the engines and pump systems at the Waterworks may appear complex, they function as simple open fluid systems.
Essential Question
How is fluid used to do work in the open systems at the Waterworks?
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Identify the Leavitt, Allis, and Worthington as open fluid systems
- Recognize the pumps as hydraulic open fluid systems
- Understand the design challenges that led to the construction of the Chestnut Hill High Service Pumping station and the Leavitt Engine respectively.
- Understand how the increase in piston size across the steam chambers relates to the equation Pressure = Force/Area
- Recognize that as a city grows, so must its water supply and distribution infrastructure
- Model an open fluid system through the construction of a simple water pump
- Recognize the difference between a model of an open vs. closed fluid system
Curriculum Connections
MA Science Standards:
- HS-ETS4-1(MA). Research and describe various ways that humans use energy and power systems to harness resources to accomplish tasks effectively and efficiently.
Clarification Statement: Examples of energy and power systems can include fluid systems such as hydraulics and pneumatics, thermal systems such as heating and cooling, and electrical systems such as electronic devices and residential wiring. - HS-ETS4-2(MA). Use a model to explain differences between open fluid systems and closed fluid systems. Determine when it is more or less appropriate to use one type of system instead of the other.
- HS-ETS4-5(MA). Explain how a machine converts energy, through mechanical means, to do work. Collect and analyze data to determine the efficiency of simple and complex machines.
Upcoming Events
Current Exhibit
Moving Water: From Ancient Innovations to Modern Challenges
Ancient civilizations engineered water systems that sustained communities for thousands of years. This exhibition spotlights six places that innovated ways to deliver, and control water for human use. It also looks at how climate change is impacting all of those places, forcing public officials to consider new ways to keep the water flowing.