Build an Aqueduct

April 30, 2020  |   Engineering, Science, STEAM


Water will find its own way, but flow control is needed, engineers give it some help. 

Adam Jenkins immerses you in the engineering behind some of the oldest man-made structures on earth - aqueducts and gets you started engineering your own.

Materials | Supplies

  • cardboard
  • plastic bottles
  • PVC pipe
  • toy car track
  • paper towel, toilet paper tubes
  • plastic wrap, foil, plastic bags
  • tape, glue
  • water
    • bucket, plastic container

Concepts Explored

  • engineering
  • design thinking
  • hydrology
  • problem solving

Discovery Starters

Which materials work best for building an aqueduct?

What was the most challenging part of building your aqueduct?

How can you make water flow uphill?

Does water always flow along the same path? Why or why not?

Explore Further

Aqueducts is and ancient technology still used today, why?

What principal of physics mades aqueducts work? 

 

Additional Resources

Aqueduct: Colonialism, Resources, and the Histories We Remember by Adele Perry

Roman Aqueducts & Water Supply by A. Trevor Hodge

Amazeum YOU Build an Aqueduct Activity Guide

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