For children in Grade 7 learning to understand structures and mechanisms 

From the Curriculum:

Builders and engineers must consider many factors, including not only the functions the structures must perform but also the resources available to build them, the intended lifetime of the structures, and the impact of the structures on the environment. In Grade 7, students will continue to learn about the effects of forces that act on and within different structural forms. They will investigate how different structural forms support or withstand loads by designing, building, and testing structures, using increasingly sophisticated techniques.

Big Ideas:

• Structures have a purpose.
• The form of a structure is dependent on its function.
• The interaction between structures and forces is predictable.