Engineering Design: Bridges
Students become civil engineers challenged to design, build and test bridges using the engineering design cycle. They'll learn about span, load, shapes, materials and more.
Engineering Design: Bridges
For Grades 4-8
- Location: Griffin MSI
- Capacity: 30 students
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Cost: $240
- Offered Tuesday and Thursday at 10:15 and 11:45 a.m.
Lab goals
During every session we aim to have students reach understanding and have fun along the way!
Student outcomes
- Recognize the application of scientific principles in everyday situations.
- Use bridges as a tool to apply and understand scientific principles in a familiar real-world situation.
- Become familiar with the basic tenets of structural design.
- Become knowledgeable of the forces at play in construction projects through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities.
- Learn how different design elements play into the structural integrity of a bridge.
- Be exposed to potential careers in engineering and construction.
- Engage in hands-on lab activities.
- Acquire and practice lab skills.
- Design, build and test models bridges.
- Be given a challenge and work as a team to complete the task of building a successful bridge.
Next Generation Science Standards
All of our Learning Labs are designed to integrate curriculum standards and connections into your classroom!
Science and Engineering Practices:
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Constructing explanations
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information
Crosscutting Concepts
- Cause and effect
- Systems and system models
- Structure and function
Disciplinary Core Ideas
- ETS 1: Engineering design
- ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems
- ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
- ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution
- ETS 2: Links among engineering, technology, science and society
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