Here's a force to be reckoned with in the physics classroom! Scholars discover the movements associated with tension, compression, and other common forces through a hands-on simulation. Pupils pull, push, and twist their way through each...

Students conduct several simple lab activities to explore the five fundamental load types that can act on structures: tension, compression, shear, bending, and torsion. In this activity, students play the role of molecules in a beam...

Learners investigate how to design and build items with a focus on structural strength as an engineer would. They complete a truss-building project as a final assessment.

Students design and build their own truss. In this physics lesson, students calculate the forces and maximum load. They complete a full scale diagram of their design.

Middle schoolers construct a variety of forms, test their strength, and discuss how tension and compression are distributed by triangles, arches, and domes.