Pulling a Car With Yucca (OER)

Can you pull a car with cordage made just from a plant? We put it to the test! This clip with Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum's Educator Nate Salzman provides a simple demonstration proving that a cell's microscopic structure affects its macroscopic properties. Included in the video is one method needed to produce and test cordage from boiled leaves; although students can also pound/mash leaves to isolate fibers or fibers can be used from wet leaves (any cordage made this way will loosen as it dries, however).
If you're thinking of using this in a classroom, considering pairing this exploration of cells' structures with an engineering challenge!
This resource is part of JPPM’s open educational resources project providing education content from our in-house educators, horticulturalists, curators, and conservationists at our 560 acre public park. The grounds have provided a home for different peoples for over 10,000 years and includes extensive archaeological sites, multiple ecosystems, and a 1930s farmstead designed by architect Gertrude Sawyer for the park’s namesake, Jefferson Patterson. This video and accompanying original materials are licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.