Read Works
Read Works: Building a Bridge
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about two friends who work together to build a bridge. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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.
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]
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...
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.
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...
![Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: The Physics of Bridges [Pdf] Lesson Plan](https://content.lessonplanet.com/knovation/original/179288-156db1b103cd8a925bf41eafa438c1b7.jpg?1661496214 "Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: The Physics of Bridges [Pdf] Lesson Plan")
Cornell University
Cornell University: Cornell Center for Materials Research: The Physics of Bridges [Pdf]
Young scholars incorporate their knowledge of civil engineering and physics principles as they design and build a bridge within certain parameters while choosing their own materials.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Construction Technologies: Construct the Strongest Bridge
In this activity, students will work in pairs to create three simple types of bridges. They will observe quantitatively how the bridges work under load and why engineers use different types of bridges for different places. They also will...
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...
PBS
Nova: Build a Bridge
This exciting and interactive site illustrates the four main types of bridge building styles. Also contains games and hands-on descriptions. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: The Physics of Bridges
Introduce learners to physics concepts that engineers use when building a bridge. This curriculum unit includes concepts such as Newton's Third Law, stress on a material, vibration, and resonance. Unit includes lectures, lab activities,...
Library of Congress
Loc: Research Guides: Legal Research: A Guide to Administrative Law
This guide provides a good overview of the role of administrative law in American life, governing "building a bridge to baking a bundt (and everything in between). It includes links to the Federal Register, which is a record of federal...
PBS
Pbs: Building Big: Bridges
A collection of resources about bridges that includes basic facts about bridges, challenges faced by bridge builders, famous bridges from around the world, and a lab that helps you understand how different forces affect bridge...
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...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Build the Best Paper Bridge
Find out what makes a bridge strong in this fun activity as you build simple bridges with paper and test to see how much weight they can hold.
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center: Build a Conductivity Tester [Pdf]
Instructions on how to build an instrument that can be used to test which materials are conductors and which are insulators, in order to bridge a gap in an electrical circuit.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Chemistry Simulation: Building Bridges
[Free Registration/Login Required] Learn about temperature and molecular motion and why they are important to consider when building a bridge.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Smart Bridges
In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about engineering innovations that could help detect a bridge's structural weaknesses before they become dangerous. [5:21]
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: How Strong Is Your Bridge?
Build a bridge of straw and straight pins. Data is collected and analyzed with handhelds by the students measuring the height of the bridge vs the number of marbles (in a cup.)
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.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: The Brooklyn Bridge
The history of the Brooklyn Bridge is an interesting story from our early days. Go to this site and learn who built it, how it was built, and many more facts. Some original pictures are included.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Building Towards the Future
This curricular unit introduces students to basic Civil Engineering concepts in an exciting and interactive manner. Bridges and skyscrapers, the two most visible products of Civil Engineers, will be discussed in depth. Students will have...
PBS
Pbs Building Big: The Skyscraper Challenge
A site for all users interested in the engineering behind the building. Site engages users in a job that requires them to investigate troubled buildings and then figure out how to fix them.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Natural Frequency and Buildings
Students learn about frequency and period, particularly natural frequency using springs. They learn that the natural frequency of a system depends on two things: the stiffness and mass of the system. Students see how the natural...