Construction Technologies

(Stairs)

A WebQuery for 9th-12th grades

Mr. Logan Sullivan
logansullivan@hotmail.com

Introduction

Stairs have influence our means of getting from one elevation to another for thousands of years. The first stair systems were constructed with stone, now stairs may include metals, glass, ceramics, wood, composites, concrete, and many other mediums. The purpose of this project is to explore, research, learn about, and present different methods of constructing stairs. Students will choose a type of stair system to focus on for this project and after completing research and modeling the student will present his/her project and type of stair system. After presentations, as a class we will construct multiple types of standard stairs systems. Could you explain aspects of modern stair systems including how to construct stairs? We should have a diverse knowledge of how many types of stairs are built by the end of this project.

Task

Your task is to explore, research, model and present a specific type of stair system. The specific type of stair system is your choice.

Research may include(but is not limited to):

internet-based exploration;
books, texts, or magazines that include information about specific stair systems including, construction, architecture, or design;
inspection of existing stair systems.

Modeling may include (but is not limited to):

using actual material to create a "to-scale" model of the stairs;
composite materials;
cardboard or
wood

Presentations may include(but is not limited to):

Poster board;
PowerPoint;
demonstration or
a teaching lesson on your specific type of stair system

Project Requirements:

Must research a type of stair system
Must construct a to-scale model of your stair system
Must present your project and type of stair to the class
Should include terminology for the stairs
Should include stair components
Include methods for constructing stairs
must use visual aids for presentation

You may include any additional information that you find interesting or important

The Process

The following list of prompt is simply to help you get started on your project. You do not have to utilize these prompts however, you should consider them.

For choosing a type of stair system, what types have seen or used?
What sort of answer does the task require?
Can the task be broken down into a few smaller tasks?
Where should you start?
What kinds of information will you need?
Where can you find it?
What can you tell about the quality of the web resources? Are these facts or opinions? What about the authority of the author?
How can the info you find be organized or displayed to make it useful?
Will a graph, concept map, or picture help?
Is something missing? Certain aspects, facts, cool information, related to your stair system?
What type of material will you need to construct your model?
Do you have enough information to complete the task?
If not, what else is needed?
Once you have all of the info you need, what is the best way to use it and complete the task?
Have you checked the rubric and task to make sure that you have completed all aspects of the task?

Resources

The following is a list of links that have information pertaining to many types of stair systems. Feel free to use these links or add your own (with permission of instructor)

Fine Homebuilding-34 steps to building cut stringer stairs.
Home Construction and Improvement-4 elements of constructing stairs.
Extreme How To-Covers all aspects of stair construction.
Working With concrete-Provides information of how to build concrete stairs and other concrete projects.
Decks.com-Includes design, layout, requirements, and steps to.
Builder Bill-Methods of constructing concrete stairs.

Evaluation

The following rubric provides a scale and explanation of how your project will be evaluated.

Project Stairs

	3	2	1	0
Stair Research	Student utilized multiple, credible resources for researching specific stair system.	Student utilized only one resource for researching specific stair system.	Student utilized resources for researching specific stair system that are not credible.	Student did not research specific stair system.
Stair System Model	Student created an accurate to-scale stair model using actual materials. Model quality shows high student effort	Student created a model stair system using any type of material that is moderately to-scale.	Student created a low quality, not to-scale model stair system.	Student did not create a model stair system.
Presentation	Student used visual aids, spoke clearly, covered all presentation requirements, and presented for at least five minutes.	Student used visual aids, spoke	Student did not use visual aids, did not speak clearly, and failed to meet presentation requirements.	Student failed to present their stair project.
Requirements	Student covered stair components terminology, and methods of construction in their project.	Student satisfied two of the three project requirements.	Student satisfied only one of the project requirements.	Student did not meet any of the project requirements.

Conclusion

Now that you and the rest of the class have completed the STAIRS PROJECT, you should have a diverse knowledge of types of stairs, how to construct stairs, stair terminology, and stair components. In your future you may be able to utilize this knowledge for occupations or many personal applications such as remodeling your house.