Civil Engineering: Designing Bridges

How does dirty water get clean enough to drink? After viewing a PowerPoint that outlines the process water goes through at a water treatment plant, groups work together to design a chlorination chamber for a treatment plant.

Using popsicle sticks and glue, groups must work together to design and build a bridge that can support weight and is aesthetically pleasing. The instructional activity begins by learners reading about different features of bridge...

Students design and construct a pipeline to carry a ping pong ball and a golf ball across the classroom.   For this engineering design lesson, students learn to work as a team as they plan, build, and evaluate their pipelines.

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...

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.

The man who invented the earliest examples of chemical engineering was an American-born, French-educated, free man of color before the Civil War, and went on to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. There is something of interest for almost...

NASA needs to create lightweight trusses to use on space craft. But how do you hold up a stack of books with nothing more than paper? This activity takes teams through the process of building a section of truss out of nothing more than...

Water is essential to life on earth. How is it then, that people can survive in desert regions with very limited access to fresh water? Through ingenious architecture and engineering, communities in India's Golden Desert have been able...

Provide a comprehensive exploration of bridges and civil engineering. First, learners discuss the different types of bridges. Then, they identify the characteristics of a suspension, beam, and arch type of bridge. In addition, they learn...

We know earthquakes are going to happen, but what can we do about it? The final lesson plan in a series of five offers scholars the chance to research prediction and warning systems, engineering solutions, and the role of scientists....