Building a Bridge

Mrs. Yaw's engineering students now have a better understanding of the design considerations that go into building a bridge. Building a bridge is not just a matter of science but also contains an understanding of social studies as well as mathematics. The roles on the "construction-site" teams consisted of project manager/builder, architect/builder and accountant/builder.

A price list for supplies was provided to the accountant to manage a cost tracking spreadsheet for the bridge. Initial drawing paper was provided for the architect to draw preliminary and final drawings of the bridge. A building code with set requirements on height, width, etc. and an overall rubric was given to the project manager to help keep the team on task and ensure the bridge was built to code. 

Each team built a bridge made out of toothpicks and then stress-tested the bridge on the final day. Students were creative in their designs while utilizing the truss presentation given in class for guidance. This fun, hands-on activity gave the students exposure to many aspects of the engineering world.