Mobile Engineering Design: Bridges
Design, build and test bridges with the engineering design cycle.
Mobile Engineering Design: Bridges
For grades 3 – 8
- Location: We travel to you!
- Capacity: 32 students
- Duration: 45–60 minutes
- Cost: $280 (travel fees apply outside of Chicago)
- Mobile Labs are offered between 8 a.m. and noon and/or between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Lab goals
Provide a hands-on, student-led activity to spark interest in science and expose students to different career pathways.
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.
- 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.
- Design, build, and test models of bridges.
- Be given a challenge and work as a team to complete the task of building a successful bridge.
Next Generation Science Standards
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
