Science | Preparation and Resources

Catenary Curves: Scientific Experimentation

Preparation

To prepare to teach this lesson, teachers should:

• Watch the Dulles International Airport segment from the PBS special, 10 Buildings that Changed America, on DVD or at wttw.com/10buildings. CONTENT NOTE: In this segment, Reed Kroloff says, “Damn right.”
• Review the section titled “Science Instruction.”
• Review the worksheet titled “Science Worksheet.”
• Review resources below to be familiar with Dulles International Airport and its structural significance.

Resources

Books:

• Washington Dulles International Airport (VA) (Images of America) by Margaret C. Peck
• Eero Saarinen: An Architecture of Multiplicity by Antonio Roman
• Eero Saarinen, 1910-1961: A Structural Expressionist by Pierluigi Serraino
• Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future by Eero Saarinen, Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, and Donald Albrecht

Online Sources:

• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
• Catenary Curves on Wikipedia