Thursday, April 13, 2 PM
For next week’s Watch & Wonder Highlight, we’re thrilled to feature this episode of NOVA. After watching, dive deeper with resources about the restoration of the fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral on PBS LearningMedia.
When the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral erupted in flames in April of 2019, firefighters battled for nine grueling hours to save the historic landmark. Still, Paris came alarmingly close to losing more than 800 years of history. Now engineers are in a different race against time: to rebuild the roof and secure the medieval structure of Notre Dame. Underneath the charred scaffolding and vaulted ceilings of the cathedral, scientists study the components of Notre Dame’s iconic structure to puzzle out how best to repair it.
PBS LearningMedia
Using Models and Simulations to Solve Engineering Problems | Saving Notre Dame
Grades 6-12
Observe the engineering design process at work in the restoration of the fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral in these videos from NOVA: Saving Notre Dame. Use this resource to provide students with an opportunity to observe how a complex real-world problem can be tackled by breaking it down into smaller problems and to visualize how different types of models contribute to defining a problem and testing engineering solutions.
In school or at home, take advantage of the Watch & Wonder broadcast schedule. Running each weekday from 1-3 PM, Watch & Wonder is great for classroom viewing, distance instruction, and families looking to spend some extra, quality time together. Featured programs are ideal for kids in grades 6-12, encouraging creativity with the arts, kick starting innovation through STEM, and expanding their horizons with stories from across the globe!
Each week, we’ll highlight a show from our Watch & Wonder block, and share a PBS LearningMedia resource — suitable for middle and high school students. Follow along on the Watch & Wonder Schedule page, or subscribe to our newsletter!