Source of Energy: Wind turbines work on a simple principle: instead of using electricity to make wind like a fan wind turbines use the wind to make electricity. The wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricity.

Output: The wind farm uses 627 turbines with an installed capacity of 781.5 MW to generate enough power for over 260,000 homes. The annual net output is 2,174 GW⋅h

Advantages and Disadvantages: The advantages of wind energy is a renewable and clean source of energy, low operating costs, and efficient use of land space. The disadvantages would be its unpredictability; wind energy cannot be produced consistently. Energy will only be produced when the wind blows. Another disadvantage would be a threat to wildlife. Although wind energy does not cause environmental problems through greenhouse gas emissions, however, turbines can have an impact on wildlife. For example, birds, bats, and other flying creatures have slim chances of surviving when taking a direct hit from a rotating wind turbine blade.

About: At over 828 meters (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. The architects are Adrian Smith, George Efstathiou, and Matthew Strabala. Construction started in 2004 and was finished in 2010. The decision to build Burj Khalifa was reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy to one that is service and tourism-based. The total to build this skyscraper was $1.5 Billion. 

STEM-related: Sustainability was extremely important during construction – the exterior cladding is silver coated to improve insulation, and solar panels were installed to heat up to 140,000 liters of water per day. A cool fun fact, the gardens are watered using condensation from the air conditioning system.

Why I chose it: I chose this skyscraper because I visited it back in 2017 and was blown away. The technology inside was impressive along with the views. It was amazing!

About:  It was 1865 when Frenchman Édouard de Laboulaye proposed the idea of presenting a monumental gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. An ardent supporter of America, Laboulaye wished to commemorate the centennial of the Declaration of Independence as well as celebrate the close relationship between France and America. He was equally moved by the recent abolition of slavery in the U.S., which furthered America’s ideals of liberty and freedom. The sculptor is Sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. The statue of liberty was built in September 1875. The Statue of Liberty cost approximately $250,000 to build (in 1880 dollars) and was paid for by the French people - not the French government - through a creative fundraising effort that we recognize today as crowdfunding.

STEM-related: The Statue of Liberty is known today for its iconic blue-green tint. However, it has not always been this recognizable color. When the statue was first unveiled to the American people in 1886, it was a shiny copper color, just like a penny! This is because the surface of the Statue of Liberty is covered with thin copper sheets, the same element that pennies are made of. It took about twenty years of exposure to weather to turn the Statue of Liberty from its shiny new penny color, to the green it is today. This color change can be explained by science. What happened to the Statue of Liberty can be explained by a chemical reaction. The thin copper sheets on the outside of the statue react with the oxygen in the air and produce green oxide. In the Statue of Liberty’s case, this copper oxide continues to react to make copper carbonates, copper sulfide, and copper sulfate. These three main compounds produce a blue-green color. The chemical reaction, which creates this color, is just a patina on the metal that is created to protect the metal from corrosion and degradation.

Why I chose it: I chose it because I've always seen it in pictures and it looks beautiful. I have never seen it, but I would love to someday. The fact that it was a gift from France is very touching.

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is a skyscraper in the Nishi-Shinjuku high-rise district in Tokyo, Japan. It is located between Shinjuku Station and the Shinjuku Central Business District. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower is the second-tallest educational building in the world and the seventeenth tallest building in Tokyo.

Contains 3 different schools: Tokyo Mode Gakuen (fashion), HAL Tokyo (IT and digital contents) and Shuto Iko (medical treatments and care). The building’s innovative shape and cutting edge facade embodies our unique “Cocoon” concept. Embraced within this incubating form, students are inspired to create, grow and transform.

Paul Noritaka Tange is the current Chairman and Principal Architect of the multi-awarded Tokyo-based Japanese architectural firm, Tange Associates. Founded by his father, Kenzo Tangea 1987 Pritzker Laureate Tange Associates is known for combining traditional Japanese artistry with modern perspectives

Built on the former site of the now demolished Asahi Mutual Life Insurance Company headquarters, construction of the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower began in May 2006 and was completed in October 2008. It is the second-tallest educational building in the world and is the 17th-tallest building in Tokyo.

Literally a vertical campus, the tower accommodates approximately 10,000 students across the three vocational schools sharing the building. These include: the fashion school Tokyo Mode Gakuen; HAL Tokyo, an information and technology school; and Shuto Iko, a medical welfare school. Mode Gakuen operates all three.

Students are said to be educated inside the 50-level tower and metaphorically transformed into something bigger and more beautiful. Height: 492 meters. Cost to build: $1.2 billion.

The tower has been designed keeping in mind the environment. This includes an integrated system within the construct that produces about 40% of electricity and thermal energy consumed by the building, greatly increasing operational efficiency and reducing costs. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

The elliptical shape allows uniform distribution of sunlight, thereby limiting heat radiation around, while ensuring that aerodynamically disperses the strong currents of wind that hit the top of the city.

I picked Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower not only because I wish to travel to Japan one day but because it is the second-tallest educational building in the world and is the 17th-tallest building in Tokyo. Also, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. The building is so fascinating

On the Giza plateau near the modern city of Cairo and was built over a twenty-year period during the reign of the king Khufu (2589-2566 BCE, also known as Cheops) of the 4th Dynasty.

The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure made by human hands in the world; a record it held for over 3,000 years and one unlikely to be broken.

The pyramid was first excavated using modern techniques and scientific analysis in 1880 CE by Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942 CE), the British archaeologist who set the standard for archaeological operations in Egypt generally and at Giza specifically.

Egypt's pharaohs expected to become gods in the afterlife. To prepare for the next world they erected temples to the gods and massive pyramid tombs for themselves filled with all the things each ruler would need to guide and sustain himself in the next world.

If the pyramid was created today…the cost per ton of limestone by the average weight of the Giza blocks (about 2.5 tons) to get our material costs of $1.14 billion. With labor estimates of approximately $102 million from HomeAdvisor, we estimate the costs to build the Great Pyramid today to be a whopping $1.2 billion.

The scale and precision of the pyramids demonstrate the Egyptians’ extraordinary skills in mathematics, astronomy, logistics and advanced engineering.

I picked The Great Pyramid of Giza because it was built around 4,500 years ago. Back when the people didn’t have the machinery like we would use today to build our new structures so to think how they created this 481 ft structure with pulleys and humans. 

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, spanning the Arizona-Nevada state line, are located in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River about 35 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a concrete thick-arch structure, 726.4 feet high and 1,244 feet long. The dam contains 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete; total concrete in the dam and appurtenant works is 4.4 million cubic yards.

Hydropower at Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam generates, on average, about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year for use in Nevada, Arizona, and California - enough to serve 1.3 million people. From 1939 to 1949, Hoover Powerplant was the world's largest hydroelectric installation; today, it is still one of the country's largest.

There 17 main turbines in the Hoover Powerplant -- nine on the Arizona wing and eight on the Nevada wing. The original turbines were replaced through an uprating program between 1986 and 1993. The plant has a nameplate capacity of about 2,080 megawatts. This includes the two station-service units (small generating units that provide power for plant operations), which are rated at 2.4 megawatts each. With the main units having a combined rated capacity of 2,991,000 horsepower, and two station-service units rated at 3,500 horsepower each, the plant has a rated capacity of 2,998,000 horsepower.

Advantages

It prevents flooding, provides HydroElectric Power and provides a road over the Colorado river.

Provides hydroelectricity

Way over the Colorado River/improved navigation

Disadvantages

Causes fish populations to shrink which damages the food chain drastically, is expensive to build as well as extremely expensive to maintain and can cause low dissolved oxygen levels in the water

What is the source of energy? 
To access the potential energy under the surface, wells reach thousands of meters into the ground. They penetrate reservoirs of pressurized water. Heated by the Earth’s energy, this water can be more than 300°C in temperature. When released the water boils up from the well, turning partly to steam on its way. At Hellisheidi, the steam is separated from the water to power some of the plant’s seven turbines. Depressurized the water creates more steam, used to power other turbines.

What is the output? 
Production capacity is 303 MW electricity and 133 MW thermal energy.

Advantages and disadvantages?

Advantage -clean, sustainable power dramatically different from the murky, fossilized industry they are used to.
Geothermal energy is used in Iceland to provide hot water to the towns, and for electricity (although it is a common 
misconception that this is the main source of electricity, which is actually hydro-power). Over 70 percent of Iceland’s primary energy consumption is from renewable sources.
Non-renewable sources are mainly only used for transport.

Disadvantages- some of Iceland’s renewable energy resources have been misused to generate private profits for companies outside of the country. While, the benefits for the local population are, at best, questionable and large areas of unique nature have been lost forever.

https://youtu.be/CGyUXNDGR10

Location- The canary Islands of Spain 

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much
$180-million, 147-foot-tall behemoth that took nine years to build.  In 1994 a company by the name of GRANTECAN S.A. was founded to design and construct the Telescope, with the help of the local government of the canary islands, the Spanish Gov., agreements through the Mexican Government and the united states with the university of Florida the telescope was built. The Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), is currently the largest and one of the most advanced optical and infra-red telescopes in the world. Its primary mirror consists of 36 individual hexagonal segments that together act as a single mirror. GTC is the largest telescope thanks to its huge light collecting surface of 75.7 square meters (73 m² effective area).

What is STEM related about it? 
Being the largest telescope in the world and thanks to its location at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, the telescope will allow the study of key questions in astrophysics such as the nature of black holes, the formation history of stars and galaxies in the early universe, the physics of distant planets around other stars, and the nature of dark matter and dark energy in the universe

Tell me why you picked it?
I picked this because of it uniqueness in astrophysics. This is the largest telescope in the world and it answers questions about how the galaxies formed and how dark matter and dark energy came to be. This interests me because no other telescope is bigger or has the functionality of this one. 

https://youtu.be/9YgACusQaTE

The NDC will be implemented in middle and high schools in Denver and the surrounding area. Schools will compete to design and implement their own authentic research experiment in an ArduLab that will be sent to the space station. While on orbit, the data from these research experiments will be available for all participants to see and use in their classrooms. Students will be able to compare their ground-based and flight-based experiment data via an ISS downlink.

Why did I choose it? 
I chose this because of its location. This is not on Earth but continues to be an important part of the survival of the Earth and our resources. I also think living in space is interesting because of the no gravity up there. 

https://youtu.be/OyaXBrttBFQ

The Dalles Dam is a concrete-gravity run-of-the-river dam spanning the Columbia River, two miles (3 km) east of the city of The Dalles, Oregon, United States. It joins Wasco County, Oregon with Klickitat County, Washington, 300 miles (309 km) upriver from the mouth of the Columbia near Astoria

What‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌source‌ ‌of‌ ‌energy?‌ ‌ ‌
The Dalles Dam, located near the mouth of the Columbia River on the Washington-Oregon border, is one of the country’s 10 largest hydroelectric power plants.

What‌ ‌is‌ ‌the‌ ‌output?‌ ‌ ‌

more than 9.2 billion kilowatt-hours

Advantages‌ ‌and‌ ‌disadvantages?‌

Advantages
1. Dams provide us with a source of clean energy.
Hydroelectricity is responsible for 19% of the world’s energy supply, offering over 3000 terawatts each year. We can produce power from dams because of the kinetic energy of the water movements as it causes turbines to spin. That’s what allows us to generate electricity that is clean and renewable. Once the dam gets entirely constructed, we no longer have a dependence on fossil fuels to be responsible for the energy we need to maintain a modern lifestyle.

The United States is one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity in the world today, even with the reduction of operational facilities. Americans generate over 103,000 megawatts of renewable electricity with this resource, with only Canada currently creating more power in this way.

2. Dams help us to retain our water supply.
When we take an opportunity to dam a river, then the water will pool to form a reservoir behind the structure. This outcome allows the population centers in that region to collect fresh water during periods of heavy precipitation for use during a dry spell or drought. We also use this engineering marvel to control floodwaters or to supply a fixed amount of fluid to the surrounding areas for agricultural irrigation.

Disadvantages
1. Dams can displace a significant number of people.
An estimated 500 million people have been displaced by dams in the last two centuries because of the reservoirs that form behind each structure. As the surrounding dry areas get flooded, we no longer have the option to use land that was previously accessible for a variety of purposes. That means local agricultural activities go through a disruption process, even though the eventual increase in available water supports more irrigation.

2. Reservoirs behind a dam can lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
When vegetation gets engulfed in water, then the plants will eventually die. When this outcome occurs, the dead organic material releases methane that ultimately makes its way into the atmosphere. The increase in the production of greenhouse gases is significant because methane is up to 20 times more potent as a reflector than carbon dioxide.

John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park is a National Literary Landmark. John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park: International Site of Consciousness 302-322 N. Elgin Ave., Tulsa, OK 74120

 Visiting this outdoor attraction and National Literary Landmark is like entering a zone of respite in the buzz of downtown traffic and bustle.

The Literary Landmarks Association was founded in 1986 by former Friends of the Library USA (FOLUSA) president Frederick G. Ruffner to encourage the dedication of historic literary sites. On May 31, 2018, the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park was dedicated as a Literary Landmark in honor of the late Dr. John Hope Franklin.

John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park continues the American tradition of erecting memorials based on tragic events by giving voice to the untold story of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot and the important role African Americans played in building Oklahoma. John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park is open for docent-led tours.

Engineering and Mathematics) are linked with generating high levels of productivity, creating better jobs (and more of them) as well as securing healthy economies.

Tell me why you picked it?

I picked it because the destroying of Black Wall Street was a very disparaging event for my African American Race. And I just started really keeping up with all the stories and history behind it. 

Location:
The African Renaissance Monument is a 52 m tall copper statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside Dakar, Senegal. 

Tell me something about it:
Built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the Ouakam suburb, the statue was designed by the Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby after an idea presented by president Abdoulaye Wade and built by Mansudae Overseas Projects, a company from North Korea.

The Monument to the African Renaissance is meant to draw tourists and pride to Senegal’s capital, Dakar. But the huge bronze statue is drawing criticism from some in Senegal’s mostly Muslim population.

The African Renaissance Monument also referred to as Monument to the African Renaissance and Monument De La Renaissance Africaine, is a bronze statue perched on a hill in Dakar, Senegal.

The representation of a man, woman, and child emerging from a volcano was inaugurated at a ceremony on April 3, 2010, featuring hundreds of drummers and dancers.

What is STEM-related about it?
The materials and the structure of the statue.
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (such as aluminum, manganese, nickel or zinc) and sometimes non-metals or metalloids such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon.

These additions produce a range of alloys that may be harder than copper alone, or have other useful properties, such as strength, ductility, or machinability.


Tell me why you picked it?

This is one place I would love to go. And it's one of the most beautiful statues I have seen.

The advantages of solar power are Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source.Solar energy will last forever whereas it is estimated that the world's oil reserves will last for 30 to 40 years. Solar energy causes no pollution.

Disadvantages
Some disadvantages are that they take up a lot of space. Also, the output levels can be affected by weather conditions. It may impact the local environment in negative ways. Lastly, Solar farms are expensive to build. 

Big Ben is located in London, England. The clock stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster.

The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-Gothic style. When completed in 1859, its clock was the largest and most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world. The original cost of the project to the taxpayers and creditors was estimated to be roughly £29 million, but this was then more than doubled, to £69 million.

What is STEM related about it?
Big Ben is very large clock and it is considered to be very accurate. It lights up at night and when parliament is in session. This is stem related because it is a mechanical tower that requires frequent maintenance from skilled mechanics and engineers.

Tell me why you picked it?
I picked Big Ben because I think it is very interesting and unique. It is a clock tower that stands tall and chimes loud. I also picked it because I would love to visit it one day and I think the design is beautiful. 

The Seattle Space needle is an iconic, 605-ft.-tall spire at the Seattle Center, with an observation deck & a rotating restaurant. Located in Seattle, Washington. 

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much’
The original architects behind the Space Needle are Edward Carlson, John Graham Jr., and Victor Steinbrueck. 
Construction started on April 17, 1961, it was completed on December 8, 1961 and finally opened on April 21, 1962. It cost $4.5 million to build.

What is STEM related about it?
The architecture and function of the space needle required engineers and technicians. Also, the odd shape of it required people well trained in physics to determine if the shape will not cause problems later as a result of weight, gravity, balance, etc.

Tell me why you picked it?
I picked the Space Needle because of the shape. I think the shape of the building is very unique and I think it ties in with science and math pretty well. I think explaining buildings to students and the math and science behind these building would be very interesting and the space needle would definitely be on my list. 

Location: The Itaipu Dam is located on the Paraná River, which is a border between Brazil and Paraguay. 

What is the source of energy? The source of energy comes from water. A dam is a hydroelectric power plant, that has produced the second most electricity of all dams as of 2020. 

What is the output? The output is electrical energy. It works by water going into the dam from the river. The water moves through the pipes inside, and this flow will move turbines that in turn spin a generator that produces electricity. This is something I never knew. I never knew how dams worked, and I feel like this is comparable to a windmill.

Advantages and disadvantages?
The advantages are many because dams produce a lot of power, it is green power, dams can create jobs for locals, and also ensure their water supply and protection from floods. The disadvantages are however in abundance as well. Dams can break and be very costly and dangerous. The construction of dams can displace people, cause problems for aquatic life, take a long time and a lot of money to create, produce methane, the creation can include deforestation of the area, and can cause more problems for the ecosystem like increased amount of algae.

Location: The iconic metropolis, Dallas, Texas, United States. Main Street District.

Tell me something about it: Bank of America Plaza is the tallest skyscraper in Dallas, and the 3rd largest in the state. 40th tallest in the country.

Who made it:
JPJ Architects. A company that has designed many buildings nationwide.

When:
Building started in 1983 and finished in 1985.

Why:
Originally built to be a bank headquarters for Citizens and Southern National Bank.

How much: This 72 story building cost $146 million.

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?
The STEM relation is the architecture. Architects and engineers worked very hard on this, and they are real life scientists and mathematicians that students may not immediately think of when they hear those words. This building is something I see very frequently in my everyday life, and the people involved in its construction have had the lives of thousands of people in their hands, as their work if incorrect would cause their death and injury. 

I picked this because I love Dallas, and this is one of the most iconic buildings in Dallas.

Location: Dallas, Texas, United States.

Tell me something about it:
The project originally called for twin building, but many scandals in the '80s as well as the collapse of Texas oil, the twin tower could not get build. But now there is a similar (not identical as originally planned) sister building next to it. This is the 5th tallest building in Dallas, and the 15th tallest in the state.
Who made it: Famous Chinese American architect I. M. Pei designed this building. He has designed many amazing structures worldwide.
When: Construction began in 1984 and completed in 1986
Why: Built to be a bank headquarters, but after the original bank merged with Wells Fargo in 1988 the named changed to Fountain Place. This is interesting because it was the first building to not take the name of the occupying bank.

How much: Cost $200 million

What is STEM related about it? 
Architects and engineers are mathematicians and scientists. This building is a part of everyday life for many people. The people who constructed, designed, and built this building are important to teach students about. Science and math are everywhere, and everyone uses them in their life.

Tell me why you picked it?
I picked this building for similar reasons as my other choice. I love my city, and this is a very recognizable building that makes our skyline unique.

Advantages: Space that is needed for operating a nuclear power plant is less compared to other conventional power plants for production of same amount of energy A nuclear power plant consumes a very small quantity of fuel. The fuel transportation cost is less and large fuel storage facilities are not required. Nuclear power plants will conserve fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gas for other energy need.

Disadvantages: The radioactive wastes must be disposed of carefully to prevent any mishaps that may have an effect on the health of operators and the population nearby cities.  There are several other issues that involve nuclear power plant, the major problem faced is the disposal of highly radioactive waste in form of solid, liquid and gas without any injury to the atmosphere. The preservation of radioactive waste for long periods of time creates many difficulties. The cost to maintain a cost of the nuclear power plant is so high that only trained people are required to handle nuclear power plants.

An especially dangerous form of air pollution" and linked it to a number of health problems including cancers, heart disease and stroke. The smaller the particle, the deeper it can penetrate into the lungs and particles of PM2.5 [a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers] and below can even enter the bloodstream and travel to other organs, causing inflammation, DNA and tissue damage and restriction of blood vessels.

FUN FACTS:
-The power station is connected directly to the national electricity transmission grid, for which it provides a host of system support services.

-Drax has two distinctive cooling towers on the skyline around Goole. Many observers think that the towers are pumping out smoke when it is actually water vapour which does not harm the environment.

-Drax Power station provides 6% of the country’s electricity needs

-The use of biomass pellets reduces our carbon emissions by 80% compared to coal.

-The biomass domes are each taller than Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s roller coaster ‘The Big One’ – which store up to 80,000 tonnes of biomass.

Although it is cheaper than fossil fuels once a plant has been built, the drilling and exploration of these sites are expensive. This is in part due to the amount of wear experienced by drills and other tools in such aggressive environments.

Geothermal plants can release hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten eggs. Finally, some geothermal fluids contain low levels of toxic materials which need to be disposed of.

Why I chose the Taj Mahal:
I chose this historical place because of it's beauty. I found it fascinating that is perfectly balanced. By this I mean that everything in it matches. It is a magnificent structure and amazes me that it was built over 400 years ago. 

STEM:
Beginning in ancient times, fountain designers relied on gravity, channeling water from a higher source in a closed system to provide pressure. The aqueducts of ancient Rome carried water down from the mountains to elevated cisterns to be distributed through pipes for both drinking and ornamental purposes.
 Is related to STEM by focusing on gravity (channeling water from a higher source )

WHY I PICKED IT?
The main reason I chose the Trevi Fountain was because of The Lizzie McGuire Movie. When I was younger this was one of my favorite movies. There was a scene in the movie when she threw a coin into the fountain, it was one of my favorite part of the movie. Luckily a few years ago I had the opportunity to visit The Trevi Fountain. It was very surreal to see something that had been built many years ago. The details and the size of the fountain was very mesmerizing.

Interesting Facts: Angkor Wat is the city of temples, it’s the largest religious structure in the form of a temple complex in the world. It measures 401 ¾ acres. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of its architecture, extensive reliefs, and statues of Buddhas and Devas that adorn its walls. It took approximately 30 years to build the temple complex using a system of sleds and elephants. 

When, Why, How much: The temple was built in the early 12th century in present-day Angkor by King Suryavarman II as the state temple for the empire. It was originally constructed dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and after the death of the King around the end of the 12th century, it was converted to a Buddhist temple. Angkor Wat played a major role in converting Cambodia into a Buddhist nation. A modern-day Angkor Wat would cost about $39 million to build. 

STEM: The STEM relation to Angkor Wat is that in order to build a temple with a strong foundation, they used a tough material called laterite. Laterite is a soil layer that is rich in iron oxide, its primary use is for construction purposes such as the production of walls. The temple is an example of Khmer architecture and serves as a witness to high social order and ranking within the Khmer Empire. STEM is involved in the layout of the structure since it includes math and science to build it. Angkor Wat is protected by a 15 ft high wall and wide moat. The temple and walls were built out of sandstone. 

Why I chose it: For my wallpapers on my computer, I have an auto-generating setting where different pictures show up when I turn on my computer. One of the pictures that showed up was labeled as “the city of temples” which I later discovered was Angkor Wat. The temple has four towers that surround a central spider that rises to a height of 213 feet, making the pictures look really interesting because of how big the structure is. 

Interesting facts: 
The Forbidden City was the former Chinese imperial palace and winter residence of the Emperor of China from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It was home to 24 emperors: 14 of the Ming Dynasty and 10 of the Qing Dynasty. It was the political center of the Chinese government for over 500 years. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The Forbidden City consists of 980 buildings with 8,886 rooms. It is one of the largest palaces and most well-preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. In 1644, the Forbidden City was captured by rebel forces led by Li Zicheng and the Ming Dynasty collapsed. The history of the Forbidden City continues as the Qing Dynasty takes control, rebuilding of burnt palaces takes place, and is controlled by Anglo-French forces in the Second Opium War.   

When, why, how much: 
The Forbidden City was constructed from 1406 to 1420 by architect Kuai Xiang. The construction began when the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. His purpose was to consolidate his imperial power and protect his own security. 

STEM: 
The materials used were whole logs of precious phoebe zhennan wood found in the jungles of southwestern china and large blocks of marble from quarries near Beijing. The floors were paved with “golden bricks”. The construction of the Forbidden City is related to STEM in the way that the architecture follows the ideal cosmic order in Confucian ideology that held Chinese social structure together and they style reflects a sense of hierarchy. The beams and columns are made of wood, this can be related to science since wood can be burned and many parts of the Forbidden City were set on fire during conflicts with other emperors and war. 

Why I chose it: 
I have seen the structure of the Forbidden City in many movies so my curiosity was spiked when I saw the picture of the palace on the list of most famous man-made structures. I never knew the history of this structure or the significance it had on Chinese culture, but now I know that it has a long, interesting history that people can visit. 

Xiluodu Town, Yongshan County, Yunnan/Leibo County Sichuan, China 

The Xiluodu Dam is the second-largest hydroelectric facility in China, and worldwide, it's the third-largest hydroelectric facility in terms of electricity generation. This dam can generate 13,860 megawatts of electricity.

The power house comprises 18 Francis turbine-generators and an air-cooled generator with 855.6MVA output.

Disadvnatges: The project is said to have relocated about 7,300 people and is expected to displace about 50,000 people in the long-term.

Advantages: As well as alleviating the control of flooding on the Yangtze River, the Xiluodu Dam project also generates power. In addition, it helps with flood prevention, sediment control and navigation improvement.

Petra is a famous archaeological site in Jordan's southwestern desert.

Petra is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is known for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was built by the Nabateans in what is now southern Jordan, while the civilization was amassing great wealth trading with its Greek and Persian contemporaries around 150 BC.

The Nabataeans, before they were conquered and absorbed into the Roman Empire, controlled a vast tract of the Middle East from modern-day Israel and Jordan into the northern Arabian peninsula. The remains of their innovative networks of water capture, storage, transport, and irrigation systems are found to this day throughout this area.

Louvre, in full Louvre Museum or French Musée du Louvre, official name Great Louvre or French Grand Louvre, national museum and art gallery of France, housed in part of a large palace in Paris that was built on the right-bank site of the 12th-century fortress of Philip Augustus.

The Musée du Louvre, or officially Grand Louvre in English the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre  is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris and located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (district). Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 19th century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet).

After more than two centuries as a royal palace, the Louvre is opened as a public museum in Paris by the French revolutionary government. Today, the Louvre's collection is one of the richest in the world, with artwork and artifacts representative of 11,000 years of human civilization and culture. I would like to visit this place one day.

Location:  Togtoh County, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.

Source of energy: Largest Coal-Fired power station in the world. The power plant exploits coal from the Junggar Coalfield and meets its water requirements by pumping it from the Yellow River.

The output: Its annual net output is 33.317 TWh (TWh), which is one trillion Wh.
The coal-based power station consists of eight 600MW generating units commissioned between 2003 and 2006, and two additional 300MW units brought into production in 2011. All of the generated power is delivered to Beijing

Advantages and disadvantages:
The disadvantages are the amount of carbon dioxide the plant releases into the atmosphere. The plant is estimated to have been one of the ten most carbon polluting coal-fired power plants in the world in 2018, at 29.46 million tons of carbon dioxide, and relative emissions are estimated at 1.45 kg per kWh.
The plant's advantage is that it supplies its energy to Beijing a population of 21.54 million.

Location: New York, New York 

The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River.  At its opening, the Brooklyn Bridge was considered the longest suspension bridge with a main span of 1,595.5 feet (486.3 m) and a deck 127 ft (38.7 m) above high water. The bridge has two other names called the New York and Brooklyn Bridge or the East River Bridge; until formally renamed the Brooklyn Bridge in 1915. The Brooklyn Bridge was constructed to connect between Brooklyn and New York cities suggested as early as 1800.
At the time, the only way to travel between the two cities was by several ferry lines.

Engineers presented various designs, such as chain or link bridges. However, these were never built because of the difficulties of constructing a high enough fixed-span bridge across the extremely busy East River. Other proposals such as tunnels were made, but it was too expensive. 
German immigrant John Augustus Roebling conceived the current Brooklyn Bridge in 1852. 
Roebling hired Tammany Hall leader William M. Tweed to be involved in the bridge's construction. Later they created a company, 

New York Bridge Company, where Tammany Hall approved Roebling's plans and designated him as chief engineer of the project. The bridge had cost US$15.5 million in 1883 dollars US$416,625,000 in 2020 to build, of which Brooklyn paid two-thirds.

STEM:
The Brooklyn Bridge is part of STEM because of how bridges are built and their purpose. The Brooklyn Bridge's 486-meter (1,595-foot) main span was the longest in the world until the completion of the Firth of Forth cantilever bridge in Scotland in 1890. The towers are built of limestone, granite, and cement. Its deck, supported by four cables, carries automobile and pedestrian traffic. 

I picked The Brooklyn Bridge because on one of my trips to New York, I was able to walk across the bridge, and it was a great experience to be walking on the bridge and enjoying the view. Even though it was freezing, I enjoyed the experience. 

What is the source of energy? It is the world’s largest proposed hydropower scheme.The DR Congo's hydropower resources are estimated at about 100,000 MW, of which 40,000 MW are concentrated at the Inga site.   

What is the output? Grand Inga could produce up to 40,000 megawatts of electricity, over twice the power generation capacity of the Three Gorges in China, and more than a third of the total electricity produced in Africa.

Advantages: Planners and policymakers envision the dam at the heart of a continent-wide network. This network will build on regional power pools that link many countries, allowing them to buy, sell and move electricity through an international grid. The Grand Inga Dam would provide electricity to the Southern African Power Pool, established in 1995 by the Southern African Development Community, a regional grouping of 15 countries spanning from the DRC to South Africa.

Disadvantages:The Grand Inga Dam has caused, and is expected to further cause, a number of harmful impacts. The construction of Inga I and Inga II led to the physical displacement of many people, who have still not been adequately compensated for damages. The proposed design of Inga III would result in even more people being displaced, including those already affected by Inga I and II. The project also threatens an increase in greenhouse gas emissions; a loss of biodiversity; and deforestation. In addition, no environmental impact assessment or mitigation and environmental management plans have been adopted to this date. There is a huge lack of transparency in the process. 

Location: Cairo Egypt 

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest pyramid in the Giza pyramid complex. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to remain largely intact.

Egyptologists conclude that the pyramid was built as a tomb for the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and estimate it was built in the 26th century BC during around 27 years.

Historically the Great Pyramid had been attributed to Khufu based on authors of classical antiquity, first and leading Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus. However, several other people were credited with constructing the pyramid during the middle ages, such as Josef, Nimrod, or king Saurid. The Great Pyramid is about 4600 years old by two principal approaches: indirectly, through its attribution to Khufu and his chronological age, based on archaeological and textual evidence, and directly, via radiocarbon dating of organic material found in the pyramid and included in its mortar.

STEM:

The Great Pyramid consists of an estimated 2.3 million blocks. Approximately 5.5 million tonnes of limestone, 8,000 tonnes of granite, and 500,000 mortar were used.

Most of the blocks were quarried at Giza just south of the pyramid, the Central Field.

The white limestone used for the casing originated from Tura and was transported by boat down the Nile. 

The granite stones in the pyramid were transported from Aswan, more than 560mi away. The largest, weighing 25 to 80 tonnes, form the roofs of the "King's chamber" and the "relieving chambers." Ancient Egyptians cut stone into rough blocks by hammering grooves into natural stone faces, inserting wooden wedges, then soaking these with water. The wedges expanded as the water was absorbed, breaking off workable chunks. The blocks were cut and carried by boat either up or down the Nile River to the pyramid.

I picked this structure because it is one of the wonders that I would love to visit in my lifetime. 

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much: Construction began for Neuschwanstein Castle in 1868 and was never completed. Louis II spent much of his childhood at Hohenschwangau Castle, a neo-Gothic, medieval-inspired castle elaborately decorated with scenes from legend and poetry. After his accession to the throne in 1864, Louis set out to build a “New Hohenschwangau Castle”—as Neuschwanstein was called until after his death—which he intended to be an even better reproduction of a medieval-style castle in line with his fairy-tale vision of monarchy. The foundation stone for Neuschwanstein was laid in September 1869. Although Louis expected the entire project to be completed within three years, only the gateway building was inhabitable by 1873. The topping-out ceremony was held on January 29, 1880, but even then the castle was still under construction. The technical fittings were completed some four and a half years later, and the castle remained incomplete in 1886, when Louis died by drowning himself. He had lived there, off and on, only some six months in total. 
Several weeks after his passing, the unfinished castle was opened to the public as a museum. Simplified versions of the castle’s bower and square tower were not completed until 1892, and only about a dozen rooms were ever finished. The construction costs of Neuschwanstein in the King's lifetime amounted to 6.2 million marks (equivalent to 43 million 2017 €),  almost twice the initial cost estimate of 3.2 million marks.

What is STEM related about it? It is 426.5 feet long (130m), sitting atop a sheer 656 foot high hill (200m).  It's main tower is 213 feet tall (65m).  Two hundred workers used 465 tons of Salzburg marble, 4550 tons of sandstone, 400000 bricks, 600 tons of cement, 50 tons of hard coal, and 3600 cubic meters of sand to make it.

Tell me why you picked it? I chose this structure because when I first saw a picture of it, it looked beautiful and I wanted to learn about it and its background. It's amazing to see how much time and effort it took to build this, even though it may not have been completed. 

Location: California's Mayacamas Mountains, approximately 115km north of San Francisco

What is the source of energy? 

The source of energy is the heat of the earth's core. It used to be fueled by a reservoir that was naturally there but lately the nearby water treatment plants have been fueling the reservoir with water. 

What is the output? They create dry steam that runs the turbines that create electricity. 

Advantages: 

It creates cleaner energy. The energy it produces still has some harmful gases but this process does not create as much as others. They are considered green because they stay under the legal limit of harmful emissions. 

Disadvantages:
 For the past several decades, small earthquakes (less than 2.0) have been regularly recorded in the area. Studies have shown that injecting water into the Geysers field produces earthquakes from magnitude 0.5 to 3.0, although a 4.6 occurred in 1973 and magnitude four events increased thereafter.

Location crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much’

 Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the early 15th century. The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. This new bridge was originally called Stone Bridge (Kamenný most) or Prague Bridge (Pražský most), but has been referred to as "Charles Bridge" since 1870. It used to be the only means of crossing the Vltava river until 1841. Where all types of transportation vehicles would move about but it wasn't until 1965. There are  30 statues of saints that decorate the beautiful bridge. All of them  have been replaced with replicas to protect them from floods. 

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?

It supports STEM  because when they create a stone bridge they have to measure that everything fits together correctly they have to use math and engineering to make sure it happens. We can see that the architects did not take in consideration big floods when creating the bridge. The Czech republic had do to do four reconstructions because of floods. The reason I picked this structure is because it is a beautiful bridge built  with stones and  amazing statues.  

Location: Orlando, Florida 

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much’

Cinderella Castle was completed in July 1971, after about 18 months of construction. Originally, a suite was planned for the Disney family and executives, but since Walt Disney died nearly five years before the park opened, it remained unfinished, and eventually was turned successively into a telephone call center, a dressing room, and is currently a hotel room. 
The castle is 183 feet (56 m) tall, as measured from water-level. Despite its appearance, no bricks were used in its construction; the inner structure consists of six hundred tons of steel-braced frame construction, with a 10-inch-thick (250 mm) reinforced concrete wall encircling the structure to the full height of the outermost stone-like walls. All of the steel and concrete works are supported on a concrete drilled caisson foundation. 
Much less fiberglass is used than is popularly believed. Rather, most of the exterior is a thick, very hard fiber-reinforced gypsum plaster that is supported by light-gauge metal studs. It can easily withstand the 125 mph (200 km/h) wind speeds in Central Florida.

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?

They support STEM because when building the structure they have to create something to look like something else. They have to figure out what materials can be molded correctly and since the structure is in Florida it has to be strong enough to withstand the harsh winds of a hurricane. To be able to find the correct materials they have to know about engineering and mathematics. 

The reason I chose this structure was because it is the first princess story I heard as a child and I thought if this engaged me into the activity it would engage little girls  who love Disney as well. It will get them thinking about math and maybe make more connections with other structures they see in their daily life.

What is the source of energy? Hydroelectric power is the world’s third-leading source of electricity production, with about 16% of the electrical energy share. This energy source provides renewable electrical power. It results from the conversion of hydraulic energy into electricity. The energy generated by the flow of water is transformed into mechanical energy by a hydraulic turbine, which is then transformed into electrical power by a synchronous generator.

What is the output? This construction allows the municipality of Zimapán to produce renewable energy, with a low greenhouse gas emission level, and low operating costs. 

Advantages and disadvantages? The advantage is that at this 22-kilometre long site, the dam measures 203 meters high, with 28 kilometers of tunnel, a surge chamber, underground plant, and access roads. The goal of this dam is to provide electricity, and the installed capacity of 282 megawatts allows it to produce 1,292 gigawatts/hr on an annual basis.  A disadvantage would simply be that the building of large dams can result in ecological damage and prompt earthquakes.

Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia river. It is one of the largest structures ever built by mankind. It is a mass of concrete standing 550 feet high and 5,223 feet long. The Grand Coulee was built because of insufficient rainfall, therefore, the solution was to build a concrete dam across the columbia river to raise the water level and divert it south into the Grand Coulee.  

Advantages: 
Some of the advantages that the Grand Coulee Dam has is that it has power supplied to eleven western states. The Grand Coulee was good for storing water to be used to irrigate the Columbia Basin in central Washington.  

Disadvantages: 
One of the disadvantages about the Grand Coulee dam was that it blocked upstream passage of salmon. The Grand Coulee was built without any fish ladders. 

The reason why I picked this parish is because I like the way it looks and because it is unique. I think the structure is amazing and beautiful. I also picked it because I went to visit this parish several times. Many people go visit this parish because it is one of the most photographed churches in Mexico. 

The Manhattan bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the east river in New York City. It was constructed in 1901 and the construction ended in the year of 1909. This bridge also carries a rich history. The Manhattan bridge was designed by Leon Moisseiff but it was built by the Phoenix Bridge Company. The cost of the bridge was thirty one million dollars. 

 

The Manhattan bridge has a height of 336ft and has a total length of 6,855 ft. It is stem related because of its architectural style. The Manhattan bridge's most notable addition was a triumphal arch. It was based on imperial Roman architecture at the entrance of the bridge. The bridge was designed by Leon Moisseiff who was an engineer in the United States in the 1920’s and 1930’s. 

Tell me why you picked it: 
The reason why I picked this bridge is because I find it interesting. I am also going to visit New York very soon and I would like to visit this bridge. I also picked this bridge because it is well known and because it has offered travelers passage over the East River which is amazing. 

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much: The expiatory temple of the Sagrada Familia, the construction of which commenced in 1882, is today one of the emblems of Barcelona, known around the world and visited by millions of people.In 1881, thanks to donations, the Spiritual Association of the Devotees of Saint Joseph bought a 12,800 m2 plot to build the temple. 
But the first stone was not placed until 19 March 1882, on Saint Joseph’s day. Initially, the project was commissioned to another architect, Francesc de Paula Villar, but Gaudí assumed the position at the end of 1883. His new project was much more ambitious than that proposed by his predecessor. It included the construction of a temple with 5 naves, a transept, an apse, an exterior ambulatory, 3 façades and 18 towers. It was the most complex and unique project that Gaudí had carried out throughout his professional career, to which he dedicated 43 years of his life.
 Following Gaudí’s death, his disciple Domènec Sugrañes took over construction until 1938. Despite his willingness, during the Spanish Civil War there was a fire in the crypt, which also affected the provisional schools and the workshop where Antoni Gaudí had left all of the plans and models for others to conclude his work. With an estimated annual income of U.S. $90 million from ticket sales and an annual construction budget of roughly $60 million, the payments will not affect the rhythm of construction. Work is scheduled to finally finish in 2026, on the centennial of Gaudí’s death.

What is STEM related about it? Back when construction began in the late 1800s, there were no computers or digital animation to rely on for the project. In the past, builders had to rely on paper sketches to correctly put together this massive structure. However, thanks to the invention of computers in the mid-20th century, the progress sped up rapidly. When La Sagrada Familia is completed, it will be the tallest religious building in all of Europe. The central tower in the middle will reach 170 meters tall. 

 Tell me why you picked it? The reason I picked this was because I saw a picture of it and the name and wanted to learn about it and its meaning. It is one beautiful monument with many features and aspects to it and I really wanted to see what was behind the making of this. In pictures this structure looks complete and beautiful, but it's not even done yet! It is amazing how they are making money to finish building it from the people that have gone to visit it. 

Something about it: The 4-story mosaic was created by artist Jesse Trevino, a Vietnam vet and prolific artist whose work depicts religious icons and Mexican American history. This candle is frequently seen through Catholic culture and it was made to support The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center which was founded by a group of Chicano artists determined to play a critical role in shaping the artistic and cultural experiences of San Antonio’s residents and visitors. This candle was completed in December 2004 and the cost of this large mosaic was not stated. 

STEM: This is related to STEM because this large candle contains hundreds of mosaic tiles that had to be mathematically cut in order to fit perfectly on the candle. The mosaic tiles were also placed by certain color coordination and placed by hand to create the massive structure of the Virgin Mary. 

Tell me why you picked it? I picked this candle because my family and I are Catholics and when I was on the internet, I saw that this huge candle existed. When I saw the image I thought it was amazing and decided to drive to San Antonio to visit the building and art structure. 

Something about it: Stone Mountain is well known for its geology, the enormous rock relief on its north face, the largest bas-relief in the world. The dome of Stone Mountain was formed during the formation of the Blue Ridge Mountains around 300–350 million years ago and it was also part of the Appalachian Mountains. It formed as a result of the upwelling of magma from within the Earth's crust. This magma solidified to form granite within the crust five to ten miles below the surface. Throughout the years, the association of Stone Mountain carved  images of Confederate icons Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Jefferson Davis on the mountain to construct a plaza at its base.

STEM: It is the largest piece of exposed granite in the world. Stone Mountain was once owned by the Venable Brothers and mined for its granite for global use. 

Tell me why you picked it? I picked Stone Mountain, because I hiked it one time and it was a rough 2.2 miles with steep yet beautiful views. I can’t believe how beautiful it looks year round and how many hikers visit yearly. The top of the mountain is more than five miles in circumference at its base, which allows for hikers to view different parts of Georgia such as nearby cities like Atlanta. It’s a fantastic place to visit.

Source of energy: Belo Monte is made up of 18 turbines, it’s the fourth-largest dam in the world. The source of energy is the flow of the Xingu River, which is a river that has its own season rhythms, rising, falling, spreading, mounting, and dropping again. 

Output: It produces over 85% of the electrical energy in Brazil. The Belo Monte Dam is a hydroelectric dam with a capacity of 11,233 megawatts on average monthly over a year. It was estimated to operate at a level where it would generate 4,571 megawatts monthly over 12 months. 

Disadvantages: The Monte Belo Dam was built on the Xingu River, it was set to be successful. However, due to climate change and deforestation, power generation is being cut down from the numbers it was expected to produce. One of the disadvantages of the dam is that during the dry seasons, the river’s flow drops which causes the plant to not produce the monthly energy average. In 2019, during the months of July to November, there was a dry season in which the plant only produced 568 MW in August, 361 in September, 276 in October, and 583 in November. To prevent damage, the dam’s operators were forced to shut down the turbines. The highest energy produced was 6,882 MW which is not close to the full operational capacity expected. 

The dam causes significant socio-environmental harm to the Xingu River and the indigenous and traditional people living beside it. The Monte Belo dam required the destruction of 1500 square km of the Amazon Rainforest, causing the displacement of several animals and plants species who have the rainforest as their natural habitat. 

Advantages: The advantage of the Belo Monte Dam is that once it operates at full capacity, it will provide carbon-free electricity for 35 million people. The area in which the dam was built was considered a regularly flooding area which caused the people living in the area to evacuate frequently. The dam will stop the frequent floods and prevent the people from being upset due to this problem. The continuation of the Monte Belo Dam construction has the potential of creating millions of jobs, cutting off carbon dioxide emissions, and making Brazil a global leader in energy efficiency and renewables. 

 300 Reunion Blvd E, Dallas, TX 75207

Tell me something about it:Reunion Tower is a 561 ft observation tower in Dallas, Texas and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Located at 300 Reunion Boulevard in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, the tower is part of the Hyatt Regency Hotel complex, and is the city's 15th tallest building
Reunion Tower, an iconic Dallas landmark, offers panoramic 360-degree views of the Dallas skyline. Located next to the Hyatt Regency Dallas, the Reunion Tower GeO-Deck offers an indoor/outdoor observation deck and unique entertaining spaces. Visit with family, friends, a group or your sweetheart to create unforgettable memories at 470 feet in the air!

What is STEM related about it:
The tower contains three floors with circular floor plans on top of four shafts of poured-in-place concrete. A central cylindrical shaft houses both stairs and mechanical equipment. Three rectangular shafts, featuring elevators, rise parallel to the central shaft. Each shaft's outfacing wall is made up of glass panels, providing tourists views of the city during the 68-second elevator ride to the top. Before renovations in 2008, the first level housed the observation deck, the second a revolving restaurant called Antares, and the third level a club called The Dome.The top three floors are encased in an open-air sphere, which is a geodesic dome formed with aluminum struts. Every one of the struts' 260 intersections is covered by aluminum circles with lights in the center.
It is STEM related because of its architectural style and how it was built.

Tell me why you picked it? The reason why I picked was because everytime I passed by it, it still amazes me how beautiful it is with all the lights and how bright it is and it shows great views.

What is the source of energy?  The farm has approximately 200,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels, which are solar panels, or other means of collecting solar energy, like concentrating solar systems which are used to harvest the suns power.

What is the output? The farm generates about 22,430 megawatt-hours of electricity a year

Advantages:

·        Solar power is pollution-free and causes no greenhouse gases to be emitted after installation

·        Reduced dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels

·        Renewable clean power that is available every day of the year, even cloudy days produce some power

·        Virtually no maintenance as solar panels last over 30 years

·        Creates jobs by employing solar panel manufacturers, solar installers, etc. and in turn helps the economy

·        Excess power can be sold back to the power company if the grid inner tied

·        Can be installed virtually anywhere; in a field to on a building

·        Use batteries to store extra power for use at night

·        Solar can be used to heat water, power homes and buildings, even power cars

·        Safer than traditional electric current

·        Efficiency is always improving so the same size solar that is available today will become more efficient tomorrow

·        Federal grants, tax incentives, and rebate programs are available to help with initial costs

·        No trenching is needed since the solar can be close to or at the place of installation

Disadvantages:

·        High initial costs for material and installation and long ROI (however, with the reduction in the cost of solar over the last 10 years, solar is becoming more cost feasible every day)

·        Needs lots of space as efficiency is not 100% yet

·        No solar power at night so there is a need for a large battery bank

·        Depending on geographical location the size of the solar panels vary for the same power generation

·        Cloudy days do not produce as much energy

·        Lower solar production in the winter months

Location: Florida Keys to Key West

Who made it? Henry Flagler 

When? 1912 (was originally the Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad), in 1935 the railroad was extremely damaged by a hurricane. Florida decided to remake the railroad in to a vehicular highway/toll way and the project started in May 1937 and was open to traffic March 1938. 

Why? The concept of an Overseas Highway began with the Miami Motor Club in 1921. The Florida land boom of the 1920s was underway and the club wanted to attract tourists to easily reached fishing areas, which could only be reached by boat or train at the time.

How much? $8 Million 

What is STEM related about it? The Overseas Highway is related to STEM because it was engineered (the “E” in STEM). It was constructed through the builders having problem-solving skills, accurate calculations, and constant reconstructions of the bridge. 

Tell me why you picked it? I picked this because I love all things Florida Keys (even though I’ve never been lol). I have always wanted to drive across this bridge. It was fascinating to me how a bridge can be so long and I discovered through this project that it is actually made up of 42 bridges. 

Who made it? Phineas Paist 

When? 1924

 Why? The pool was a creation that was a result of the Grand Plan that George Merrick, whose father left him 3,000 acres of undeveloped land,  had for a City that would embody true hometown living.

How much? There is nothing that I could find that showed the cost of the Venetian Pool cost specifically, but I did find that it cost George Merrick about $100 million to build the city of Coral Gables. 

What is STEM related about it? The Venetian Pool is related to STEM by having the water being purified using a biological filter and fine filtration in combination with sophisticated hydraulic design, where water is moved constantly and circulated thoroughly. The science and mathematics that is used to make this pool function is amazing and unreal. 

Tell me why you picked it? To be totally honest, I just googled manmade structures in Florida and came across this. However, in doing my research on the Venetian Pool I am now obsessed with this city and this natural pool. I learned that it is the largest natural pool. I am excited to go back home to Florida and make a road trip to this amazing city. 

What is the source of energy?: The Niagara River is one of the world's largest sources of hydroelectric power plants. Niagara River has a diversion for hydropower generators. Hydroelectric power plants are usually built around the Niagara waterfall because they take advantage of the water drops, more precisely, the power of gravity, to generate electricity. The power plants at Niagara divert some of the river's flow from above the waterfalls using canals or tunnels. The hydropower plants capture the energy of the falling water to generate electricity. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy. 

What is the output?: The amount of electricity that the power plants at Niagara Falls has is the capacity to output close to 4.9 million kilowatts, which is enough power and energy to power 3.8 million homes.

Advantages and disadvantages?: The advantage that Niagara Falls has with the hydroelectric power plant is that it's a renewable resource, which means that it will never run out unless the water stops flowing. It is also emission-free, which means it doesn’t release emissions into our atmospheres. It is reliable because it has a constant steady flow 24/7. The disadvantage that Niagara Falls has with hydroelectric power plants is that it impacts plants and fish. It prevents fish from reaching their breeding grounds, which can affect any animals that rely on those fish for food. There is a higher initial cost, with the building of a dam to stop running water. 

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much: Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a massive sculpture carved in Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It has carved the four presidents of the United States. The first president George Washington, the third president Thomas Jefferson, the sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt as the twenty-sixth president. 

The mountain rock was carved from granite. Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor who made the carving of Mount Rushmore, when he had passed, his son Lincoln Borglum continued his carving work. Gutzon Borglum started the construction project in 1927. The sculpture was finished in 1941. It took 14 years and nearly around 400 men and women were involved in the construction in efforts in building the National Memorial. The concept of designing and funding for the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was to promote tourism in South Dakota. 

Gutzon Borglum agreed to create Mount Rushmore to commemorate America's first 150 years as a free country. He thought the four presidents were chosen to commemorate the founding, growth, preservation, and development of the United States of America. The project cost $989,992.32 around 17.4 million today while taking 14 years to finish.

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?: Mount Rushmore National Memorial has a geologic activity that relates to STEM. The geologic forces of heat, pressure, deposition, uplift, and erosion have combined with millions of years to create the spectacular setting for the carving of granite in Mount Rushmore. The rocks upon which the faces are carved are the crystalline core of the Black Hills. The Black Hills also has a very interesting geological history.

 I chose Mount Rushmore National Memorial, because of the fame it has as an American symbol of freedom and hope for people from all cultures and backgrounds. When being at my clinical placement, my mentor teacher was teaching a history lesson and showed the students the picture of Mount Rushmore, I remember the students were so knowledgeable about the sculpture that made me want to look into it more. My mentor teacher later connected the sculpture to the science lesson on the identification of rocks and used Mount Rushmore as an example, which connected as a STEM interaction in the classroom.

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much: The Lincoln Memorial was built to honor the 16th president of the United States Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln Memorial is across the Washington Monument. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at the end of the Civil War, and so congress wanted to incorporate a Lincoln Monument that would associate the building of the sixteenth president. The Lincoln memorial has 58 steps two of which are represented for the number of terms he served as president, and 56 for his age when he got assassinated. 

Henry Bacon was the architect who designed the Lincoln Memorial. Henry Bacon felt that a memorial to a man who defended democracy should be based on a structure found in the birthplace of democracy. It took eight years to complete the memorial, it was built from 1914 to 1922. Cannon pushed through a Lincoln Memorial bill which President Taft signed on during the year 1911. The bill created the Lincoln Memorial Commission to oversee the project and set aside $2 million in funds. The final cost, however, was $3 million. 

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?: The construction of the Lincoln Memorial began in 1914, until 1922. The building was built with marble from the state of Colorado; Lincoln's statue was also made from blocks of marble from the state of Georgia. The Lincoln Memorial is related to STEM and science because of the types of rocks that were used. The type of stone in the exterior of the Lincoln Memorial is Marble from Colorado, the type of stone in the columns is Limestone from Indiana, and the type of stone in the Lincoln statue is marble from Georgia.

 I choose to research more about the Lincoln Memorial, because of the influence of Mount Rushmore, but most importantly in the location that it is found. Its located in Washington D.C. I have never gone, but I want to visit the Memorial and other Famous National Landmarks in Washington D.C. 

What is the source of energy?
The first geothermal generator kicked into action July 4, 1904 at a dry steam field, The plant was gradually added to throughout the years and now Larderello is now formed of 34 plants operated by Italian company Enel Green Power (EGP). The capacity of the site is now 800MW and has helped Italy become the sixth-largest producer of geothermal energy in the world, as it forms nearly 2% of Italy’s energy mix. 

What is the output?
Larderello now produces 10% of the world's entire supply of geothermal electricity, amounting to 4,800 GWh per year and powering about a million Italian households.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advanatges -
Briniging environemental and econcomic benefits, It can be extracted without burning a fossil fuelsuch as coal, gas, or oil.Another advantage to geothermal steam plants is that these power plants do not require cooling water like all other thermal plants as they generate their own water from geothermal steam condesntates.
Disadvantage-
The produced steam is comprising tiny amounts of other gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide and, it is supplied directly from the production wells to stesm turbine and is exhausted right after that to the atmosphere. 

Location:The Tiwi Geothermal Field is located on the northeast flank of Mt. Malinao in Albay Province, Philippines, approximately 350km southeast of Manila.

What is the source of energy?
Arturo P. Alcaraz and his team came to Tiwi and lit a light bulb using steam-powered electricity coming from MountMalinao. That was the first geothermal power generated in the Philippines.

What is the output?
The Tiwi field has an installed capacity of 275 MWe and is located about 300-km southeast of Manila in the Albay Province. Exploration began in 1964, and power was first generated in 1979. By 1982 Tiwi became the world's first water-dominated geothermal system to produce more than 160 MWe.

Advantages:A reliable source as it's easier to predict the power output from a geothermal plant with a high degree of accuracy.
Disadvantages: Energy fluid needs to be pumped back into the underground reservoirs faster than it is depleted. Management is required to maintain sustainability.

Location: Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo.

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much?:
It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634 meters in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa.Tokyo Sky Tree was designed by the Japanese architectural firm Nikken Sekkei. The architect also designed the 333m Tokyo Tower in 1958.

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?:
The tower has a central-pillar structure, similar to that of a five-story pagoda. Obayashi built a group of 400 m steel-reinforced concrete central pillars at the core of the tower's steel frame. This relates it to stem in the materials that its made of are precious metals from the Earth which were used to help it withstand earthquakes that frequent Japan. I picked it for its beauty and how large it truly is. 

Location: The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in the Turtle Bay neighborhood on the East Side of Manhattan, New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue near Midtown Manhattan.

Tell me something about it, who made it , when, why, how much?:
Chrysler Building, office building in New York City, designed by William Van Alen and often cited as the epitome of the Art Deco skyscraper.The Chrysler Building is still the tallest brick building in the world. In total, 391,881 rivets and 29,961 tons of steel were used, and approximately 3,826,000 bricks were manually laid, to create the non-loadbearing walls of the skyscraper. ... The Chrysler Building is renowned and recognized for its terraced crown.

What is STEM related about it? Tell me why you picked it?:
It is the tallest brick building in the world and those materials have withstood the time and at one time it was the tallest building in the world overall. I picked it because of its appearance on one of my favorite shows The Mindy Project which takes place in New York. It stem relation can be found in its materials the metals and stones it took to make it and its overall history as it was built just to outdo someone else AKA The Empire State Building. 

Facts:
Mont Saint Michel was built over a period of 1300 years, The idea came from a dream, The structural built represents the feudal hierarchy.

Who made it?
The Bishop Aubert of Avranches made the structure, he was visited in his dreams by Archangel Michel. The Archangel instructed him to build a church on the rocky island situated at the mouth of the Couesnon River. The Bishop did not pay heed to his words the first time so the archangel visited again and this time the Bishop took him seriously and started construction at the site.

When?
Mont Saint Michel was built in the 8th century (708 AD) But it took a period of 13000 years to finish.

Why?
Mont Saint Michel was built because of the dream Aubert of Avaranches had and in honor of Saint Benedict he erected the first sanctuary that lead to the growth of a new monastery. 

How much?
It does not say how much it cost to build Mont Saint Michel but It does mention that in 2006 a new project to build a hydraulic dam using the waters of the Couesnon and the tides to help remove the accumulated silt, and to make Mont Saint-Michel an island again. The construction of the dam began in 2009 and it was at approximately a €200 million project.

What isSTEM-related about it?
Mont Saint Michel is STEM related because the structure consists of a variety of shapes and sizes relating it to math. In the architection process of the structure a lot of math and calculations were used to create the different levels in the inside of the building but also to give the effects of height from the outside. 

Tell me why you picked it?
I picked Mont Saint Michel because It reminded me of a castle. It caught my attention to see a structure so big with the use of different shapes all around it.It is a beautiful structure surrounded by water, It's hard to imagine that It was also a prison at a certain period of time. 

Location? Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 

Who made it? Local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and artist Carlos Oswald designed the statue. French sculptor Paul Landowski created the work.

When? It was completed October 12, 1931. Construction took nine years, from 1922 to 1931

Why? The Catholic Circle of Rio made a second proposal for a landmark statue on the mountain in 1920. The group organized an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The organization was motivated by what they perceived as "Godlessness" in the society. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms, a symbol of peace, was chosen.

How much? cost the equivalent of US$250,000 (equivalent to $3,600,000 in 2020) 

STEM related? Why I picked it? A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowski's submissions and felt building the structure of reinforced concrete (designed by Albert Caquot) instead of steel was more suitable for the cross-shaped statue. The concrete making up the base was supplied from Limhamn, Sweden. The outer layers are soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use. I picked this statue because it is known as one of the New 7 wonders of the world, and it is one I would like to visit.