A "Bit" of Engineering


A "Bit" of Engineering
View in Flash Download/Print PDF (408KB)

A "Bit" of Engineering - Teacher's Guide
View in Flash Download/Print PDF (396KB)

Audience: Grades 5-8

National Science Education Content Standards:
Standard E: Science and Technology
Standard D: Earth and Space Science

Keywords: engineering, drill bit, ocean drilling, drilling tools, JOIDES Resolution

Description

This new twist on an old Earth science coring activity provides an opportunity to look at ocean drilling through the eyes of the driller and the engineer by testing three different drilling tools on a variety of ocean bottom substrates. Background materials include drilling video clips, photos of cores, drilling tools and bits; and three informative articles profiling the careers of a driller, a toolpusher, and an operations superintendent.

Supplemental Resources

Tripping Pipe (running time 3:05)
Underwater Reentry Movie (running time 30 seconds)
A Treasure Chest of Cores - photos of some of our more famous cores
Career Profile: Driller
Career Profile: Toolpusher/Core Technician
Career Profile: Operations Superintendent
The Rough Life of a Drill Bit on the Science Museum of Minnesota Science Buzz website

Credits
Written on the School of Rock Expedition 2005 by Debbie Faulkner and Julie Marsteller (11/2005); edited by Nancy Felix (6/2006)

For more information about any of our educational resources, please contact deepearthacademy@oceanleadership.org.