Activity: Exhibit design challenge

This content is provided by the 49ers Museum Education Program.

Introduction

As you have discovered, geometry is used in many ways. Not only do you see geometry in the shapes and angles found in the architecture of Levi’s® Stadium, but it can also be seen in how the game is played. In the 49ers Museum presented by Sony, you can see geometric angles in the design of the galleries, exhibits, and structural makeup of the building. Without angles, engineers and architects would not have been able to calculate the correct height of the museum’s ceiling or understand the correct angle of lighting to showcase the exhibits.

If you explore the museum, you will realize that some exhibits are stored and displayed behind glass cases. These are vital for the protection and preservation of historic artifacts. You will also find that angles are used in the display case design to provide the structural framework and support of the artifacts. At times, museum exhibits can be moved and displayed at outside events or venues, requiring sturdy cases that can support movement.

Exhibit design and construction challenge

You are part of the 49ers Museum traveling exhibit team. The showcase of the traveling venue is "The Catch" ball, which is housed in a tall, streamlined, plexiglass stand.

"The Catch" refers to the winning touchdown reception by Dwight Clark off Joe Montana’s pass in the January 10, 1982, NFC Championship Game between the 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. "The Catch” is widely regarded as one of the most memorable events in NFL history, and this ball is as iconic as the game itself.

Scenario

Your team arrives to your destination 40 minutes prior to the unveiling of the popular exhibit. While "The Catch" ball exhibit glass casing was being unloaded from the truck, it fell and shattered on the ground. Luckily, the ball was not in the stand at the time. Your task is to reconstruct the stand that held the football. However, you have a limited amount of materials, space, and time to recreate the stand before the exhibit opens to the general public. You will want to make sure to use geometric shapes and angles to support the weight of the ball.

Criteria

You will need to design and construct a three-dimensional (3-D) temporary artifact stand that is the actual height of the original exhibit “The Catch" ball, which is 70 inches tall.

Materials needed

Straws (bendable or straight)
Two kinds of adhesive tape (e.g. masking, electrical, clear, duct)
One inflated NFL-size football
Sketch paper
Pencil

Constraints

Use 75 straws or less and only two types of tape to construct the stand.
The stand must support the shape and weight of an actual NFL size football (14-15 ounces) when it is placed on top of the exhibit stand.
You will only have 30 minutes to construct and ten minutes to design.
You must use at least two different shapes and incorporate at least two examples of each angle type in your design and construction.
You have limited space to showcase the artifact. You must keep below the following volume for space: 20,480 cubic inches.

Step 1: Prior to constructing the stand, you must first sketch out your design based off the above criteria. You have ten minutes to design the stand.

Hint: Look at the furniture or structures around you. How do they incorporate angles to support the weight of an object?

Step 2: Based on your design, begin to construct your stand with the materials available. Remember to have examples of each angle incorporated in your design and to design according to the volume of space that you can exhibit. You have only 30 minutes to construct -- good luck!

Step 3: Once your 30 minutes is up, test your stand! Put a football on top of your stand to see if the design and construction support its weight.

If it doesn’t work out, no worries -- keep at it. The museum is counting on you, and we all learn through failed attempts.

FAIL actually means First Attempt In Learning

Keep refining your design until you find an optimal solution, and pay careful attention to how angles and shapes can be used to better support your design.

Questions to ponder

How did your design change along the way? Save the sketches and documents that you created!
How does your design differ from the past model?
How does the exhibit design act as a solution to the problems mentioned in the challenge?
What factors prevented a perfect design?
Could your solution exist in real life?
How did the angles used support the framework of the exhibit?
What issues might you encounter if your design didn’t incorporate geometric shapes and angles?

This content is provided by the 49ers Museum Education Program.

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