5th Grade

Bridges is an interdisciplinary unit designed to foster an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)and creative problem solving. Students will become engaged in the topic as they complete various hands-on challenges and participate in classroom discussions. Then they will choose a specific type of bridge to research, using the Independent Investigation Method. Finally, students will construct their bridge and present their findings at the end of the year QUEST Showcase.

STEM challenge: Paper Chain

Our first day of QUEST was all about planning, problem solving, creativity, and most of all practicing our Habit of Mind on persisting (not giving up!). The challenge was to create the longest chain using only 3 materials, paper, scissors and glue.

Math in Structures & Bridges

Anyone working in the fields of engineering and architecture needs a strong foundation in math. After engaging in a lesson about shapes, angles and protractors, our fifth graders created tetrahedral kites to better observe related math concepts. It took some patience, but they got the job done!

Angles & Lines of Symmetry

QUEST students built tetrahedral kites to apply the knowledge of angles and symmetry. We then tested their structure to see whether their design was successful.

Types of Bridges

Fifth graders are researching about the different types of bridges. Our study begins with the beam bridge. It will continue on to the truss, suspension, and the arch bridge. Students read articles, watched videos, took notefacts, and used K'NEX sets to construct the different bridges.

Building bridges using K'nex sets!

Report abuse