Winter 2015
Lesson 1
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Structure and Gravity Lesson Plan
Introduction
This winter quarter is our Science Olympics Quarter and the theme is the Space Olympics.
What are some cool things about space that you like?
- Student will throw out a bunch of answer. We could mention a few things like comets,
the planets, the moon, rockets, etc.
Today we will be talking about structures and we will be building bridges…
Why do we build bridges? What are they meant for?
- To help vehicles travel through a gap that would be difficult or impossible to cross
otherwise
What are bridges made of?
- Wood, concrete and/or steel
What makes a bridge good?
- Its ability to withstand weight, be stable, last long and not wobble (or bend
unnecessarily)
Can you tell us some common/popular bridges you know of or you have seen?
- Golden gate bridge, Bay bridge, etc.
Briefly discuss the different types of bridges and some potential failures to bridges.
Objective
- Learn about bridges and different types of bridge designs
- Build a bridge and test structure for stability, efficiency and effectiveness in terms of
strength
Types of Bridges
1. Beam Bridge
o A horizontal beam spanning between two regions. It can either be simply supported
(beam across a single span) or continuous (beams across 2 or more spans).
2. Arch Bridge
o Has a horizontal beam with structures on both ends where the load is distributed
3. Truss Bridge
o They are structure of connected elements forming a triangle. Truss bridges are
structurally stable because the forces are distributed throughout the triangle.
Winter 2015
Lesson 1
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4. Suspension Bridge
o They from cables that are attached to large towers that are implanted deep into the
floor of a lake or river.
Activity
(Split students into groups of 2 or 3)
Rules
- For this first part of the lesson, each team has try to build two types of bridges (they don’t
have to be any of the 4 bridges discussed but they should be different designs).
- No limit on supplies for this phase – We just want the students to create different
structures
- Bridges will be placed on two adjacent tables (or chairs), a certain distance apart
- Weights could sit on bridge or hang in a paper cup strung up to the bridge
Supplies
- Popsicle sticks
- Toothpicks
- Straws
- Pipe cleaners
- Tape
- Glue (maybe glue guns)
- String
- Small paper cups
- Paper clips
- Measuring tape
- Scale (maybe not for this lesson)
- Weights (could be variety of things: coins, little wood blocks, etc..)
Procedure
Step 1 – Design: Student teams make two different bridge designs
Step 2 – Test: Students will test bridges and use 2 tables (chairs) as support. Record how
much weight each bridges could withstand and what the different failures experienced.
Step 3 – Redesign & Test: Students can make changes to their bridges (or create new designs)
and continue testing.
Step 4 – Label & Store for next lesson.
Activity Discussion/Evaluation
During or after the activity, tutors can discuss the following with the students:
- How successful was your structure? If not, why did it fail?
- Why did one bridge perform better than the other? If not, why?
- Why the choice of material? Why did you decide to use those many (or few) materials?
- What will you do differently next time?
Reference:
Winter 2015
-
Lesson 1
Popsicle Bridge by TryEngineering - www.tryengineering.org
Lesson Plan for Bridge Building by Anjali Mulchandani - UCLA
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