Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Put Your Truss in Building Bridges

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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.
Lesson Plan
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Popsicle Bridge

For Teachers 2nd - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Math in the Design and Building of Bridges

For Teachers 7th - 11th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Bridge is for Crossing

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students examine the bridges of Washington State. They focus on the suspension bridge between Tacoma and Gig Harbor. They see how three different types of bridges work by rotating students through bridge stations.
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Cardboard Bridge That Can Hold Potatoes

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is London Bridge Really Going to Fall Down?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students discover what forces work together to hold up a suspension bridge. They see various bridges around the world, and learn the basic principles that enable each bridge to support itself. Groups design their own bridge, testing how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridge Design and Bridge Building

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders conduct an investigation into the design of bridges and their construction. Students design bridges and draw detailed plans. For assessment they construct a model of a bridge that is made entirely of toothpicks. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suspension Bridges: Connecting Lives

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be a Structural Engineer!

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students investigate how to design and build items with a focus on structural strength as an engineer would. They complete a truss-building project as a final assessment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fair Haven Community and the Grand Avenue Bridge

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use the internet to research the history of Fair Haven, Connecticut. In groups, they are introduced to the socio-economic developments and how the area has grown over time. They work together to create their own bridge design...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Designing a Safe City Like a Civil Engineer

For Teachers K
Students study civil engineering, safety apparatuses in their city, and design their own city. In this civil engineering lesson, students discuss their towns safety apparatuses and define civil engineers. Students then design their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bold Bridges

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore bridge construction. In this bridge building activity, students view bridge websites and discuss how bridges are designed and built. Students design and construct their own bridge using the directions provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building a Bridge

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discover architecture and functionality by constructing a bridge.  In this bridge engineering lesson, 3rd graders utilize cardboard, straws, towel tubes and plastic bottles to create a model bridge similar to ones seen...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Incredible Edible Bridges

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students create a bridge using engineering and geometric concepts. In this geometry lesson, students identify the missing measures of polygons sides and angles. They work together to solve real life situation using problem solving...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridge Building

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders will create model drawings of bridges and integrate technology into the process of creating a visual representation. Technology is used in the industry of design and architecture. This lesson plan helps to build real life...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building Paper Bridges

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students construct a bridge that can hold 100 pennies. In this math lesson plan, students evaluate the strength of their bridges. They predict how much weight a bridge can hold based on its design.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridging the Gap

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the role that bridges play in our society. They conduct an investigation to examine the various shapes and functions of bridges. They determine which type of bridge would best suit a given scenario.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build and Test

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students display what they have learned about bridges as they construct their bridge. They present their projects to the rest of the class. They compare and contrast the construction of the bridges.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridges

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders use model-building to help comprehend the forces and phenomena at work in the world around them. They describe gravity as a universal force that pulls everything toward the center of the earth. Students distinguish between...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Build

For Teachers K - 1st
Learners observe and discuss a picture of Curious George building a bridge and discuss what it means to build, plan and design a project. As a class, they list things they need to do in oder to build something and explore how a compass...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stressed and Strained

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore stress and strength in engineering design. For this engineering lesson, students become familiar with terminology associated with stress and strain on building material. They will have a class discuss about how their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Things Fall?

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students study forces by examining the force of gravitational attraction. They observe how objects fall and measure the force of gravitational attraction upon objects. Students discover that, since gravitational constants are different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Built To Last

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners face the challenges of building big, functional structures, like bridges, domes and skyscrapers. They turn their talents to satisfying clients who have hired them to design their new home.