Bridge Building
- 4th Grade -
The Challenge!
Build a bridge able to span the longest distance possible without collapsing.
Challenge Constraints
Your supplies are limited to spaghetti and marshmallows.
You must follow the engineering design process for your design.
You must test and improve your design at least 2 times.
Student Skills In Focus
Learning Goals
Students will:
Use the Engineering Design Process, preplanning and "strong shapes" to create a bridge that will span the greatest distance.
Use the challenge to develop the Pillar Skills in focus.
Questions To Ask Students:
What shapes can you incorporate into your design to bring strength?
What other design elements will provide strength for distance?
Where do see the greatest weight load? How can you design for this?
What can you anticipate being a failure point with your design?
Essential Questions:
How can bridges be built to better withstand weather and other wear?
NJ Student Learning Standards:
3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.