In the Bridges unit, designed for grades 3-5, students are introduced to a real-world problem: civil engineers need new bridge designs for several locations in a city. It’s up to the class to determine which types of bridges will work best and create models that are both strong and creative.
Through a series of five hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore four main bridge types: beam, arch, truss, and suspension. They build and test model bridges using paper, string, and simple supports, adding washers one at a time to see how much weight each design can hold. Just like scientists, they ask questions, carry out fair tests, record results, and construct explanations about what makes each bridge type strong or weak. Along the way, they see that all bridges must deal with two key forces: compression, which squeezes parts of the bridge together, and tension, which pulls parts of the bridge apart–forces students can see in action when their bridges bend, sag, or hold firm.
In the final five lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work in teams to design and build their own bridges for one of the city locations. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build prototypes, and then test, improve, and present their designs against clear criteria: the bridge must hold weight, allow for travel underneath, and add to the landscape. The final bridges–built from cardboard, craft sticks, string, and tape–are unique solutions that show how scientific understanding and creativity combine to solve real-world problems.
What’s included:
Digital Curriculum (approx. 10 hours of instruction):
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Slide-based lessons with embedded media and clear instructions
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Printable Student Worksheets
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Easy-to-Use Teacher Notes
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Materials Management Information
1 Material Kit with materials for up to 30 students:
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Metal Washers
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Paper Strips
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Cardstock Strips
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Foam Balls
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Toothpicks
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Paperclips
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Short Pipe Cleaners
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Long Pipe Cleaners
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12” x 12” Cardboard Sheets
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String
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3” Corrugated Strips
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4” Corrugated Strips
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Bag of Wooden Dowels
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Bag of Straws
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Cardboard Sheet with Wood Circles
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Holed Craft Sticks
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Lesson Printouts
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Challenge Printouts
Items not included but needed to complete the unit:
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Scissors
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Masking Tape
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15oz cans (1 per student)
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Glue Sticks
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Pencils
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Markers
Contains small parts. Choking Hazard. Ages 3+
Grade/Age Group:
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Upper Elementary (3rd-5th Grade)
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Ages 8+
Subject:
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Science
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Engineering
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Maker
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Art
