Curated OER
Build a Cardboard Bridge That Can Hold Potatoes
Students identify the characteristics of a bridge and build with junk materials. In this bridge building lesson, students use cereal boxes, paper towel or toilet paper tubes and tape to create their bridges. Bridges must...
Curated OER
Building Big and Strong
Middle and high schoolers explore the concepts of architectural rigidity. They analyze a variety of polygons, and explain why some shapes add more strength to structures than others. The PBS video, "Building Big," is utilized in this plan.
Curated OER
Truss Strength
Students are introduced to the design of Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone Park including its use of trusses. They work in groups and use straws and modeling clay to design and test a variety of building supports.
Curated OER
Build A Tree
Young scholars study the different parts of a tree and the significance of each part. In this build a tree lesson, students use role-playing theater to reinforce what they are learning. Young scholars use their imagination to...
Curated OER
Building Straw Towers
Students apply their knowledge of technology to help them build. In this science and technology lesson, students build straw towers and investigate the strength and form of the structure. They analyze the best design the make the...
Curated OER
Suspension Bridges: Connecting Lives
Students explore bridges. In this bridge instructional activity, students design and build a suspension bridge after visiting related websites and reviewing famous bridges in non-fiction books. Students follow the...
Curated OER
Bold Bridges
Students explore bridge construction. In this bridge building activity, students view bridge websites and discuss how bridges are designed and built. Students design and construct their own bridge using the directions provided.
Curated OER
Cardboard Structure: Pyramids
Students design a structure made of cardboard pyramids that will hold their weight. In this pyramid structure lesson, students determine a way to make a structure of interlocking pyramids that are sturdy enough to hold a student's...
Curated OER
-Body in Motion - Axial and Locomotor
Learners practice increasing their movement and dance vocabulary through axial motion and locomotor step skill-building. They work with a partner and create and perform short sequences utilizing the vocabulary their practicing. Each...
Curated OER
Many Kinds of Bridges
Students examine how there are many elements that need to be considered before building a bridge. Groups are given materials and they are to make a structure that can hold an object in suspension.
Curated OER
Bridges- Design a Bridge
In this bridge design worksheet, students answer 5 general questions about bridges. Students follow the directions to construct 4 types of bridges with paper and test them for strength.
Curated OER
Tower Investigation and the Egg
Students build three types of towers, engineering them to hold an egg one foot high for 15 seconds. They discover that engineering designs are subject to constraints such as time, money and size specifications. In this activity students...
Curated OER
Roman Architecture
Students examine Roman architecture. In this ancient Rome lesson, students discuss some attributes of Roman architecture prior to conducting research on the use of classical Roman architecture in modern buildings.
Curated OER
Pottery-making Methods
Students become experimental archaeologists using three methods of pottery making before the invention of the pottery wheel.
Curated OER
Cross That Bridge
Learners create paper bridges. In this geometry and architecture lesson plan, groups use legal paper and paper clips to design a bridge that will hold 100 pennies. Links to mini-lessons exploring stability of different geometric figures...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Fallen Arches: The Surprising Strength of Eggshells
Arches have been used for structural engineering since ancient times. This experiment tests the strength of a naturally occurring arch shape: the shell of an egg. How much weight do you think an eggshell can support?
archKIDecture
Arch Ki Decture: Building With Steel and Glass
Using the John Hancock Center as an example, ArchKIDecture explains how a steel skeleton gives a building strength and permanence.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Build the Best Paper Bridge
Find out what makes a bridge strong in this fun activity as you build simple bridges with paper and test to see how much weight they can hold.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: The Leaning Tower of Pasta
Here's a project for a budding architect or structural engineer. Can you make a strong, lightweight tower using only uncooked spaghetti and white glue? In this project, you'll learn about materials testing and apply what you learn to...
NC State University
The Engineering Place: Construction
Choose a characteristic and have students build a structure that will have it, using whatever materials are available. For example, it could be as tall or as strong as possible.