Lesson Plan 2

Title: Solving 3D Equilibrium Problems

Learning Objectives and Goals:

1. Recall set of equations for 3D equilibrium.

2. Explain why some support forces and moments are zero.
3. Create and analyze 3-D forces through hands-on activity.
4. Find rectangular components of vectors in 3-D.

Overview of Activities: 1 hour class

1. In lecture/discussion format review equations for 3D equilibrium equations from last
class. (5 minutes)
2. In Lecture/discussion of support forces and moments. (5 minutes)
a. What makes a force zero?
b. What makes moments zero?
3. In Class activity (15 minutes)
a. In small groups build a three-legged structure that can support a load using
erector set pieces (each group given four long pieces and four fasteners)
b. Create fixed ends by having two students hold the end of the three-legged
structure.
c. Add a load by pushing on the top of the structure.
d. Discussion questions: What happens when you push on the structure? What
forces do you fill at the fixed ends and what direction are the forces if we define
a coordinate system? What happens when you do not fix one of the three legs?
4. Set up and solve activity problem (15 minutes)
a. Bring class back together to model the three-legged structure. Students help
define the problem with free body diagram, load, and angles. Solve for the forces
in the fixed end and when one end is not fixed for your group’s structure and
analyze the answer with one to two sentences.
5. If time, do another example problem from chapter 5.
 6. Students turn in activity problem and solution.

Rationale for Sequencing and Pacing Activities

Only the first 10 minutes of class will be lecture style with me asking a few questions of the
students. The in class activity will take up a majority of the time where students get to create
their own problem, explore different ideas, and then we come back together to work out the
solution to the problem they created. Remaining time given to solving another 3-D problem
from the text or setting the problem up to be solved next class.

Assessment:
Turned in activity and solution will be graded. The desired outcome is that students will be able
to apply knowledge learned to visualize how forces are translated to other parts of a structure.
I am not grading on whether students have the right answer as each group’s structure will be
different. I am grading on how they approached the problem and did they analyze their
solution. Why did they feel their solution was correct or incorrect?