PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Build a Bridge
Survey potential bridge sites, research bridge design, and select the right bridge for the right location in this interactive activity from the NOVA: "Super Bridge" Web site.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Designing Bridges
Students learn about the types of possible loads, how to calculate ultimate load combinations, and investigate the different sizes for the beams (girders) and columns (piers) of simple bridge design. Students learn the steps that...
Other
University of Cincinnati: Project Step: Build a Bridge
In this two-period lesson, students work in teams to focus on the real-world application of bridge design and construction based on capacity, cost, and aesthetics.
Science Museum, London
Making the Modern World: Bridges
Learn all about bridges in this interactive learning module.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Triangles: Designing a Straw Bridge
In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast tries to design and build a bridge made out of drinking straws that will support the weight of 200 pennies. [4:02]
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Bridges
A project where students design, build, and a test a bridge made out of file folders. Students will use a force sensor to measure how strong their model bridge is. Then students will compare their results to classmates to conclude what...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Bridges
Through a five-lesson series that includes numerous hands-on activities, students are introduced to the importance and pervasiveness of bridges for connecting people to resources, places and other people, with references to many...
Museum of Science
Museum of Science and Industry: Online Science: Activities: Straw Bridges
An investigation where students design and build a bridge, using only straws and tape, that must support a weight.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Bridge Challenge
This interactive activity, from the Web site developed for the PBS series "Building Big," use your knowledge of bridge design to match the right bridge location in a fictitious city.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Bridges That Can Take a Shake!
Building a bridge in San Francisco has to take into account the possibilites of earthquakes. This Science Buddies science project asks that you use different virtual bridge designs to withstand virtual earthquakes. The Science Buddies...
Tech4Learning
Pics4 Learning: Images for Education: Bridges
A large collection of beautiful photos of various bridges from around the world! A visual reference for teachers and students. Browse through the examples, then click to enlarge.
The Tech Interactive
The Tech Museum of Innovation: Bridging the Gap [Pdf]
Can your team build the appropriate bridge to fit the needs of various terrains? In this instructional activity, students will build an assigned bridge in order to increase knowledge of various types of bridges. Students will then engage...
Other
Lincoln Public Schools: Applied Technology & Engineering: Bridge Busters [Pdf]
In this activity, students design and build the lightest bridge to support the heaviest load. They investigate different bridge designs and building materials, learn key terminology, and test their prototypes in order to meet the...
Other
Minnesota Department of Transportation: Bridge Up! Engineering [Pdf]
In this lesson, students learn about the difference between human-made and natural components in our world. They will then identify natural and human-made items using photos. They will learn about the Engineering Design Process, why...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: Golden Gate Bridge
The perfect site on the Golden Gate Bridge! PBS provides bridge math, great pictures of before, during, and after the construction of the bridge, and a special section called "Balancing Forces," that demonstrates how the "tension" of the...
Other
Ties Magazine: Model Bridges
One high school's curriculum tackles the challenge of bridge construction. In this article, you will read one student's thought and design processes as well as some of the leading questions he was asked to consider.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Effect of Bridge Design on Weight Bearing Capacity
This Science Buddies project asks that you identify different kinds of bridges, discover why they are built as they are, and then build three different bridges of your own out of balsa wood. See which one you think can bear the heaviest...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Design Process: Creating a Stronger Truss
This is an interesting project that explores which geometrical shapes make the strongest bridge truss structures. It is a good introduction to the engineering design process. You'll design three different trusses, and use online...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Bridges, Building and Breaking
Young scholars will design, build and test the load bearing capacity of a scale model bridge. They will explore types of bridges. Learn about forces that effect bridges. Make scale drawings. Grading rubric is included as is a...
Technology Student
Technology Student: Structures (Bridges and Towers)
Technology teacher V. Ryan provides access to more than three dozen illustrated articles and activities for learning about the design and building of bridges and towers.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Building Our Bridge to Fun!
Students identify different bridge designs and construction materials used in modern day engineering. They work in construction teams to create paper bridges and spaghetti bridges based on existing bridge designs. Students progressively...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Straw Bridges
Working as engineering teams, students design and create model beam bridges using plastic drinking straws and tape as their construction materials. Their goal is to build the strongest bridge with a truss pattern of their own design,...
Library of Congress
Loc: Today in History: June 12: Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge
Read about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the first steel-wire suspension bridge. This site, from American Memory, has a biography of John A. Roebling, the designer of the bridge, and many links to photographs of the construction...
Carnegie Mellon University
Chem Collective: Stoichiometry Bridge Course
This is a complete course in chemical stoichiometry, set in a scenario that shows how stoichiometry calculations are used in real-world situations. This course has been designed to not only help you strengthen your skills with...