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Activity
Teach Engineering

Bridge Types: Tensile and Compressive Forces

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Bridges rely on tension and compression to keep them standing. Pairs test this principle by constructing simple bridges and applying a force to the center. Teams use the provided instructional activity to record their observations of the...
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Lesson Plan
DiscoverE

Build a Bridge

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Cost overruns are unacceptable—in the real world and in an engaging activity. Groups of pupils get together to build a bridge out of straws, paper cups, and tape. They keep track of costs ($1,000 for each material) and must stay within a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Put Your Truss in Building Bridges

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars apply abstract concepts, such as stress, fulcrums, the law of gravity, and the strength of different geometric shapes. Groups of student contractors operate simulated architectural firms to create strong, economical bridges.
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Lesson Plan
Cornell University

The Physics of Bridges

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Stability is key when building a bridge. Scholars explore the forces acting upon bridges through an analysis of Newton's Laws and Hooke's Law. The activity asks individuals to apply their learning by building a bridge of their own.
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Trust in the Truss: Design a Wooden Bridge

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Obviously, a sturdy bridge is the desired outcome. Pupils select from one of four different types of truss bridges, then construct a model of the bridge from craft sticks and glue, making sure that it satisfies certain constraints. They...
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Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Popsicle Bridge

For Teachers 2nd - 12th Standards
Using popsicle sticks and glue, groups must work together to design and build a bridge that can support weight and is aesthetically pleasing. The lesson begins by learners reading about different features of bridge architecture, followed...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Spaghetti Bridges: Student Worksheet

For Students 4th - 6th
Here is a wonderful activity that allows young engineers to try their hand at designing a bridge out of spaghetti! The worksheet explains the activity and also provides a graph for keeping track of the results. Very good!
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Straw Bridges

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Pairs work as engineering teams to design and build model bridges from drinking straws and tape. In this third segment in a series of 10, teams compete in an attempt to build the strongest bridge. To help with the design, the groups...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Build a Cable-Stayed Bridge

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Large or small, bridges are architectural wonders! Construct a large-scale cable-stayed bridge during a whole class project. Scholars work in groups to erect the towers, build the roadway, and secure the cables of their very own bridges....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper Suspension Bridges: You Want Me To Go Up There?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A few class periods will be required to complete this physics investigation with your high schoolers. There is an unavailable video written into the lesson plan, but there is plenty of material here to bridge the gap. Two terrific...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Bridges, Buildings and Beyond Activity Packet: Grades 3-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
The road to a better understanding of engineering lies with bridges and tunnels. A set of four engaging activities teaches learners about engineering concepts related to construction projects. They perform an experiment to find the...
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Activity
DiscoverE

Bridges, Buildings and Beyond Activity Packet: Grades 9-12

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Shore up engineering knowledge with some building activities. Scholars design a foam beam, create a structure from playing cards, and construct a paper tower that won't topple over in the wind. Along the way, they learn about engineering...
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Lesson Plan
Berkeley Engineering and Mentors

Bridges

For Teachers 4th - 6th
This engineering activity gets youngsters working together to design and construct a bridge. Each bridge is tested in front of the class to discover how much weight it can hold before showing any change in form. The lesson plan does not...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridge Construction

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students build a model of a bridge and test the amount of weight it support. They identify different types of bridges: suspension, arch, girder, truss, cantilever, cable-stayed and moveable.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridge Building

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students design and build their own balsa wood model bridges. The technological development of bridges, the science principles that apply to bridge building, and the construction techniques and skills necessary for creating a bridge be...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Construction Technologies: Construct the Strongest Bridge

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate how engineers use different types of bridges for different places. In small groups they design and construct bridges for three different scenarios, and answer a series of investigating questions applied to the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Built That NYS Thruway Bridge Anyway?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students discover how engineers determine the best designs for bridge construction. They see how bridge constructions relates Engineering to Geometry. They see the implications and consequences of bridge design on your community/world.
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Cost Comparisons

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Our final proposal for the cost of the bridge requested is ... In the last segment in a series of 10, pairs work together to develop a proposal for a city bridge design. The class completes a cost comparison between concrete and steel to...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Strength of Materials

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Pupils examine a stress-strain diagram that compares the advantages and disadvantages of the two common bridge building materials, concrete and steel. The also consider the factors that influence the materials builders choose for their...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Spaghetti Bridges: Student Worksheet

For Students 3rd - 4th
Pairs of learners work together in order to simulate how engineers test materials for strength and safety in the real world. They use paper cups and pieces of spaghetti to run strength tests. This excellent worksheet should lead to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suspension Bridge Construction

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students study types, strength and construction of a variety of bridges. They build a model bridge and test the amount of weight it support.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The World’s Longest Bridge

For Students 5th - 9th
In this comprehension worksheet, students read a story and answer the six multiple choice questions that follow. They identify the longest bridge in the world, what happened during construction, and what possible dangers to the bridge...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridge Building lab

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students investigate the 4 types of bridges and their strengths and weaknesses at an Internet Website. They describe one type of bridge that they have seen. Students pair off and face each other with their palms touching and feet flat...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Show Me the Money

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Class members learn how to estimate the total costs involved to design and build a bridge by including design, material, equipment, and labor costs. The activity includes a discussion about the trade-off between cost and aesthetics.

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