Suspension Bridge Construction

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...

Spanning across time—well, maybe not time. Using simple materials, teams design, draw, and then construct a bridge. Teams build the strongest, safest, and most economical bridge using the materials from the supply price list. Each team...

Students build a model of a suspension bridge and test the amount of weight it will support. For this engineering lesson, students study types of bridges and attempt to construct a suspension bridge shown in a diagram. They use string...

Pupils examine a stress-strain diagram that compares the advantages and disadvantages of the two common bridge building materials, concrete and steel. The also consider the factors that influence the materials builders choose for their...

Our final proposal for the cost of the bridge requested is ... In the last segment in a series of 10, pairs work together to develop a proposal for a city bridge design. The class completes a cost comparison between concrete and steel to...

Bridges rely on tension and compression to keep them standing. Pairs test this principle by constructing simple bridges and applying a force to the center. Teams use the provided worksheet to record their observations of the reaction of...

The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges. 

Learners 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.  Learners follow the instructions from the "Build a Bridge...

Students explain the concepts of tension and compression, and then state the purpose of suspension bridges. They also study some of the most famous suspension bridges in North America.

Class members learn how to estimate the total costs involved to design and build a bridge by including design, material, equipment, and labor costs. The activity includes a discussion about the trade-off between cost and aesthetics.