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Chinampa Engineering Challenge:
Ancient Agriculture Meets Modern Hydroponics
Student Activity Guide
Your Challenge
People have been engineering new ways to grow food for thousands of years. Chinampas are one example
of agricultural innovation. Developed and refined in Mesoamerica, these highly productive agricultural areas
enabled farmers to use shallow lake environments and available water resources to grow food. Chinampas
show how growers can design agricultural systems around the conditions and resources available to them.
Now it's your turn to think like an agricultural innovator.
In this challenge, you'll apply that same kind of problem-solving to design your own water-supported
growing system. Design and build a small-scale growing system that supports growing media and
seeds while providing plants with the moisture they need.
There is more than one way to solve this challenge. Your team will design your own solution, test it, observe
how well it supports plant growth, compare your results with other teams, and identify ways to improve
your design.
1. Define the Problem
In your own words, what problem does your team need to solve?
Our problem:
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Our system must:
• Fit within the provided container
• Support growing media and seeds
• Remain reasonably stable
• Allow the growing area to receive moisture
• Support seed germination and plant growth
Our constraints:
What limits has your teacher established for materials, size, or construction time?
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Name: Class: Date:
