St Francis Dam Failure STEM Case Study

Investigate the 1928 St. Francis Dam failure with this 6-page STEM packet covering hydrostatic pressure, geological uplift, dam physics, and safety ethics.

Engage your middle and high school students with a comprehensive, hands-on deep dive into one of the worst civil engineering disasters in American history. This complete printable unit bridges hydrodynamics, earth science, and professional ethics to teach hydrostatic water pressure physics, geological uplift, pore-pressure piping erosion, concrete gravity dam mechanics, and civil safety regulation.

What’s Included in this 6-Page Unit Packet:

Page 1: Historical Case Study & Technical Breakdown – Full narrative of the March 12, 1928 collapse, William Mulholland’s aqueduct expansion, concrete gravity dam mechanics, fault-line piping erosion, Sespe conglomerate dissolution, and comprehension check questions.

Page 2: Day in the Life Scenario Challenge – Roleplay assignment where students step into the shoes of a Lead Forensic Hydraulic Engineer on March 13, 1928, analyzing flood telemetry logs, abutment leakage diagnostics, and emergency dam failure indicators.

Page 3: Hands-On Unplugged Simulation & Applied Math – Step-by-step math calculations comparing total hydrostatic water force versus dam gravity sliding resistance, uplift pressure ratios, and reservoir water volume discharge rates.

Page 4: Engineering Ethics & Workplace Dilemma – Critical thinking exercise exploring chief engineer oversight, reliance on visual inspections without geological core testing, hubris in authority, and the creation of independent dam safety laws.

Page 5: Redesign Brief & Innovation Lab – Creative blueprinting assignment where students design “St. Francis Dam Replacement V-2,” incorporating deep foundation cut-off walls, internal drainage galleries, grout curtain seals, and real-time piezometer pressure sensors.

Page 6: Teacher Answer Key & Scoring Rubric – Complete answer key for all analytical questions and math calculations, along with a 10-point grading rubric for evaluating student blueprints on Page 5.

Teacher Benefits:

100% Print-Friendly Format: Clean text layout with zero dark background boxes or awkward formatting for easy editing and printing.

Multi-Day Classroom Value: Designed to cover 3 to 5 full class periods. Perfect for Physics, Physical Science, Earth Science, Geology, Civil Engineering, CTE electives, or emergency sub plans.

High-Interest Real-World Content: Combines real hydraulic fluid math, forensic geological inspection, engineering ethics, and civil dam redesign!