Garrett started off class by taking the students outside to a steel beam. The reason for this was that the students were going to make their own beam out of wax. This beam was later tested to see how much weight it can hold. Using a program called Cross Beam, the students began to design their beams. They learned that the design of the beam is important when it comes to weight support. Different beam designs hold different weights. The students then got a time to design their own beams. After brainstorming and creating, they began to put together the finished product. Each group received legos as material to make their beams.
After building the beams, the students were each given graph paper to cut out a box from. This activity taught the students about optimization and which size holds the most volume. When they were done making the boxes, they taped the box sides together. Garrett then took each student's box, put it on a scale and poured sand in it. The posed question was: Which box holds the most sand, but also stays intact?