Site characterization and geotechnical aspects of the design and construction of foundation systems. Topics include site investigation (with emphasis on in situ testing), shallow (footings and raftings) and deep (piles and caissons) foundations, excavation support systems, groundwater control, slope stability, soil improvement (compaction, soil reinforcement, etc.), and construction monitoring.

This lesson will provide students with an initial, successful experience with clay. They will begin with a small, palm-size piece of soft clay, mold it into a ball, and then create a small rounded pot.

SPARK visits ceramicist Richard Shaw in his Fairfax studio as he scrambles to finish work for an upcoming one-person gallery show. This Educator Guide traces the history of the trompe l'oeil technique in art up through the Bay Area movement of realism in ceramics.

Students study the anatomy of a face and use what they have learned about rendering faces and three dimensional objects to create thumbnail sketches of expressive faces on jugs. They learn to blend values to create the illusion of volume in both facial features and clay jugs. Three dimensional understanding is reinforced by adding expressive facial features to coiled clay jugs. Earth Science is integrated through the study of clay. Social Sciences in integrated through the study of face jugs found as far back in Social Sciences as Pre-Columbian times. Artistic meaning is explored through facial expression and the psychological implications of color. They look at examples of face jugs. They learn about types of clay. They learn to roll clay coils and create a jug using coil construction. They score, slip and blend facial features to the jug. They choose either underglaze decoration followed by a clear glaze coating or colored glaze decoration applied after bisque firing as a finish.

Waste disposal has been an ongoing problem since medieval times. Environmental engineers are employed to develop technologies to dispose of the enormous amount of trash produced in the United States. In this lesson, students will learn about the three methods of waste disposal in use by modern communities. They will also investigate how engineers design sanitary landfills to prevent leachate from polluting the underlining groundwater.

Students take a hands-on look at the design of bridge piers (columns). First they brainstorm types of loads that might affect a Colorado bridge. Then they determine the maximum possible load for that scenario, and calculate the cross-sectional area of a column designed to support that load. Choosing from clay, foam or marshmallows, they create model columns and test their calculations.

Working on the creation of pinch pots with clay is a suitable activity for children at all levels.

The students will compare and contrast the physical characteristics of three soils: clay, humous, and sand. They will create double bubble maps and list poems about the soils.

Detailed study of soil properties with emphasis on interpretation of field and laboratory test data and their use in soft-ground construction engineering. Includes: consolidation and secondary compression; basic strength principles; stress-strain strength behavior of clays, emphasizing effects of sample disturbance, anisotropy, and strain rate; strength and compression of granular soils; and engineering properties of compacted soils. Some knowledge of field and laboratory testing assumed.

Students learn about one method used in environmental site assessments. They practice soil sampling by creating soil cores, studying soil profiles and characterizing soil profiles in borehole logs. They use their analysis to make predictions about what is going on in the soil and what it might mean to an engineer developing the area.

This site looks at soil fertility, nitrogen in soil, soil chemistry, soils as electrical systems, soils as filters, soil physics and particle sizes (silt, sand, and clay), microorganisms in soil, nutrients that plants need, soil morphology, judging soil by feel, structures and shapes of soil, and soil profile images from Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and other states. Learn how soil is formed and how long it takes to create an inch of soil.

Students apply their knowledge about mountains and rocks to transportation engineering, with the task of developing a model mountain tunnel that simulates the principles behind real-life engineering design. Student teams design and create model tunnels through a clay mountain, working within design constraints and testing for success; the tunnels must meet specific design requirements and withstand a certain load.