Students 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.

Students identify the characteristics of a bridge and build with junk materials.  In this bridge building lesson, students use cereal boxes, paper towel or toilet paper tubes and tape to create their bridges.  Bridges must...

Middle and high schoolers explore the concepts of architectural rigidity. They analyze a variety of polygons, and explain why some shapes add more strength to structures than others. The PBS video, "Building Big," is utilized in this plan.

Students study material strength and how it varies with shape and arrangement.  In this paper structures lesson students work in teams to build a portable paper structure that can support the weight of a book. 

Research various types of bridge designs. Your class will be asked to consider what it would be like without bridges while learning about how they work. They will construct a model bridge based on given parameters. They then calculate...

Eighth graders design and build a gingerbread house. In this technology lesson, 8th graders research the important components of a house. They evaluate the strength of their design and suggest modifications when necessary.

Students design, invent, and build a model of something new, useful, or decorative to solve a problem using any combination of materials provided. They also create logos, packaging, etc. related to product sales.

Students apply their knowledge of technology to help them build. In this science and technology lesson, students build straw towers and investigate the strength and form of the structure. They analyze the best design the make the...

Students engage in a lesson which demonstrates the importance of rocks, soils and minerals in engineering and how using the right material for the right job is important. The students build three different sand castles and test them for...

Students explore bridges.  In this bridge lesson, students design and build a suspension bridge after visiting related websites and reviewing famous bridges in non-fiction books.  Students follow the instructions from the...

Delve into graphing! The concepts covered begin with basic graphing basic coordinates and algebraic expressions on coordinate planes, and build up to graphing linear inequalities and equations. Learners solve and simplify various...

Young scholars explore bridge construction. In this bridge building activity, students view bridge websites and discuss how bridges are designed and built. Young scholars design and construct their own bridge using the directions provided.

Students examine how a building's foundation is its frame and support system. They compare the frame of a house to the skeleton of the body. They draw roofs and select flooring.

Students build houses out of legos. They create the strongest model with the "drop test" in mind. They must build a structure that will pass the drop test. (Teacher drops from waist to the ground)

Students construct a bridge that can hold 100 pennies. In this math lesson, students evaluate the strength of their bridges. They predict how much weight a bridge can hold based on its design.

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...

Students design a structure made of cardboard pyramids that will hold their weight. In this pyramid structure lesson, students determine a way to make a structure of interlocking pyramids that are sturdy enough to hold a student's...

Eighth graders build a structure that is able to withstand a simulated earthquake. They research earthquakes, earthquake measurement, and society's preparation for and reaction to them. Pupils build models and present them to the...

Students explore robotics. They design a simple device that simulates a human arm lifting a mass. Students test the strength of their arm. Students discuss artificial intelligence.

Students explore force and motion through a series of experiments. In this physics lesson, students create and interpret speed graphs. They build an electromagnet and explain the factors affecting its strength.

Students compare and contrast the three primary types of bridges. For this technology lesson, students design and build a bridge that spans 25 cm. They test their design and present the results to class.

Learners work together to review what they know about damage during tornadoes. They design a structure that they hope protects people against tornadoes. They share their structure with the class.

Eighth graders are introduced to what makes a strong, sound structure. They explore about the truss structure, the importance of the strength of the triangle and the distribution of forces along the truss. Students work in teams to...

Students research tall buildings and identify the geometric shapes used in the construction of the buildings. They compare shapes and infer why some are better than others in building. They produce a multimedia presentation of geometric...