DISCUSS: How could you keep a bridge like this from sagging? (On the next slide, we'll share one idea we had.)

saggingBoard

One idea we had: To keep the bridge from sagging, you could put a pillar underneath to support it.

saggingBoard

DISCUSS:

Do the bridges you've seen so far give you any ideas about how you could make a strong paper bridge? (Think about how you can support the bridge so it doesn't sag.)

Video trouble?

#####Teacher Video - Guiding students to make bridges

The next slide is a video of Doug & Pat making different bridge designs. This is designed for the teacher to watch in advance. It will help you support students if they get stuck. (We don't recommend playing this video for the students before they've had a chance to experiment on their own.)

Video trouble?

push

1 of 12

to move an object away from you

pull

2 of 12

to move an object toward you

force

3 of 12

a push or a pull

balanced forces

4 of 12

two equal forces that push or pull in opposite directions so that the object doesn't move

unbalanced forces

5 of 12

two forces that push and pull in opposite directions where one force is greater than the other so that the object moves

design

6 of 12

to make a plan for creating or doing something

engineer

7 of 12

a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems

pillar bridge

8 of 12

a bridge that is supported by thick poles

arch bridge

9 of 12

a bridge with a curved arch in the center

suspension bridge

10 of 12

a bridge where the weight is pulled up by ropes hung from tall poles

truss bridge

11 of 12

a bridge with triangular supports

model

12 of 12

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with

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Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Lesson Image

bridges by Jim Bowen , used under CC BY

Exploration

Kirby Cove by Akos Kokai , used under CC BY

Charles Ellis by Mary Cone/PBS

Celestia software by Celestia , used under CC BY

Golden Gate from space by NASA , used under Public Domain

sleeping on boat by Jeff Mentzer

Golden Gate by James W. Shepp & Daniel B. Shepp , used under Public Domain

under the Golden Gate Bridge by USGS , used under Public Domain

USS Ronald Reagan transits Pearl Harbor by US NAVY Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Dylan McCord , used under CC BY

Shady Creek by Ladyheart

Kishwaukee River by IvoShandor , used under CC BY-SA

Bloukrans Bridge by http://niocem.ru/

Brunel's Suspension Bridge by Mark Gee

Lake Pontchartrain by Glenn

full hybrid truck by Walmart Corporate , used under CC BY

Seven Mile Bridge by kwalk628 , used under CC BY-ND

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway by Kari Csaba , used under CC BY-SA

Yanjinhe Arch Bridge by Glabb , used under CC BY-SA

NRG Bridge by Greg Mason Burns , used under CC BY-ND

Stone Bridge by cheriedurbin

Clifton Bridge by Adrian Pingstone , used under Public Domain

Golden Gate Bridge by Unsplash , used under Public Domain

spinning the main cables by Golden Gate Bridge District

hanging the roadway deck by Golden Gate Bridge District

GoldenGateBridge by Rich Niewiroski Jr. , used under CC BY

GoldenGateBridge at night by Ryan J Wilmot , used under CC BY-SA

steel construction by m.sansom

StafsWorcs Meccano Bridge by Sjwells53 , used under CC BY-SA

bridge number 6 by Mfwills , used under CC BY-SA

Healdsburg Memorial Bridge by Nate Botl , used under CC BY-SA

Phila Falls Bridge by Davidt8 , used under Public Domain

Carpenter's Flats Bridge by Mfwills , used under CC BY-SA

sewickley bridge by Robert Strovers

Golden Gate Bridge trusses by Jet Lowe , used under Public Domain

Credits

“My kids LOVED the bridge building activity. I taught both 3rd grade classes this lesson, and they had an amazing time learning from their mistakes and building stronger bridges. We went on a field trip to San Francisco a week after I taught this lesson, and all the kids started shouting, "Look, a suspension bridge!!! With pillars!!" when they saw the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a proud moment for me!”

“Kids were engaged and excited! The emphasis on the "test and redesign" model worked well--this is an important process for students to start to grapple with, and can be applied to any inquiry or research opportunity that we encounter. We'll be able to connect back to this lesson as a touchstone for many things we do in the future. ”

“Students loved learning about the many different types of bridges! During the bridge design activity, I noticed my students using problem solving skills, persistence, and teamwork in order to make the strongest bridge.”

“The students really enjoyed learning about different types of bridges. Their favorite was the Golden Gate Bridge because it was familiar to them. They also liked the competitive nature of building the strongest bridge. ”

“Love how the concepts are explained to the students before they start working. I've used this lesson before, and the students are able to work in groups independently after watching the videos. They love this lesson!”

“It was interesting to see how the students communicated with each other with bridge building and extend the knowledge gained from the video. I love how the lessons promote thinking and collaboration.”

“You prepared the students with the great videos in a way that left the path of thinking and creativity open. The activity also allowed my second language learners to demonstrate their incredible intelligence. Their bridges were amazing!”

“Our boys getting going right away, excited to design their first bridge! They were enthusiastic while adding and counting more pennies/coins. After the first bridge collapse, both of my boys were designing their next one, with changes in mind. My 9 year old son, Cody, made a folded bridge with 4 pillar supports. That bridge held 293 coins! How fun! Thank you, Angela”

“They loved adding more and more coins. I ran out of coins for some of the paper bridges. I extended this with making human bridges. They loved experiencing the weight, pulls and pushes of the structures. They really got creative within their groups. I wish I could show you the great pictures I got!!”

“My students loved it. They worked together building bridges and testing their ideas, then trying out a different method or way learning from their mistakes. A great activity. I learned much myself. Thank you, ”

“My students really liked making the human bridges. Even though they had done an experiment similar to the paper bridge activity, your visuals gave it deeper depth and made them excited to try it with more effort in their attempts.”

“The best part was listening to Doug explain in simple language the workings of a roller coaster. We also loved the live action videos; we felt like we were there! Giving the students time to discuss their ideas is a great feature, too. Thanks for such a great product. Our PTO is purchasing a subscription for us next year because we enjoyed our free trial!”

“I hit the wrong button on Mystery 1....it should have been a 5. Best part of ALL lessons...creative activities with easy-to-find materials and instructions that make sense! It is SO OBVIOUS that someone familiar with kids and teachers has tested these activities because they WORK as described. And did I mention they have readily available supplies? ”

“This went very well. The kids tried different ideas and once they failed, they thought about what they should do next time. One team was very successful on their second bridge and then I noticed other bridges were similar. We had a great discussion about how engineers will consult each other and share ideas. They just need to give credit to the person who helped. Thank you for making this. We will be watching the video about the Tacoma Bridge and doing the assessment soon. Can't wait to do more:)”

“This lesson went fantastic. Students and staff loved building the bridges. It was fun to watch them "fail" and figure out what they could do to hold more coins. They didn't want to go to their next class!”

“My kids (ages 6 and 9) absolutely loved building bridges out of paper! They're obsessed now and keep trying out different shapes. Makes me so happy. I love the way the experiments make the science lessons really come to life.”

“Excellent! I loved that the students had to use critical thinking skills in order to build the bridge and determine which type of bridge would be the strongest! The students enjoyed testing the bridge, reading about the Tacoma bridge, and watching the video about the Tacoma bridge!”

“One of the best ones yet! My kids most enjoyed building their own bridges with paper. My 6 year old built one that held all the coins in the house- more than 60! Plus a bag of centimeter cubes, plastic tiles, toy cars, and a metal harmonica. He wanted me to "take a picture and send it to Doug!" So much fun!”

“LOVE!!!! My students were so engaged in building bridges! To walk around my classroom as they worked and hear the science talk and the vocabulary used by my students was amazing! Thank you for helping me provide my students with meaningful lessons!”

“Watching my students use the different bridge designs discussed in the video, just out of two pieces of paper. Seeing my ELL student come up with one of the top designs that held the second most pennies.(only two less that the top) His smile was priceless!! The students were really into it. We went back to it the next day to see if they could improve their design.”

“The kids really enjoyed learning about the Golden Gate Bridge and the various types of bridges. They loved the bridge building activity to go along with the lesson. I stretched this lesson even further because they enjoyed it so much!”

“He really loved the extras at the end, where we found the video of the "Galloping Gertie" bridge collapse. However, he told me today that his favorite part of homeschool is science, "because of the videos". THANK YOU!!!”

“A nice review video at the end so they can say that their design was one of the one featured or if they came up with something else. Closure :) First one I did and I loved it...so did my 30 students!”

“It was very interesting to learn about the fall of Tacoma bridge! What an interesting story. We also had a blast building paper bridges without tape using only two pieces of paper. A pair of my students managed to build a bridge together that held 863 uncooked pinto beans! We had to substitute beans for pennies because we didn't have enough. Thanks for the great lesson, we can't wait to do lesson three!”

“The kids had a great time building the bridges. It became quite the competition between them. The bridge they built together held over 600 pennies :) They also commented on how smart the man in the video is. Thanks for this great resource. Our homeschool science is much cooler thanks to this program!!”

Bridge Challenge worksheet	15 copies
Bridge Designer’s Notebook worksheet	30 copies
Building Bridges Teacher Tips worksheet	1 copy
Blank Paper (8.5 x 11")	90 sheets
Hardcover Books	90 books
Rulers	30 rulers
Scissors	30 pairs
Pennies We recommend having at least 400 pennies on hand for a classroom. Some bridges are VERY strong.	Details 400 coins

What makes bridges so strong?

push

pull

force

balanced forces

unbalanced forces

design

engineer

pillar bridge

arch bridge

suspension bridge

truss bridge

model

Extend this lesson

Vocabulary

Unit Readings

Assessments

Image & Video Credits

Standards

Jump to

22 mins

30 mins

Share this lesson

Student link

Google Classroom

Email parents

Extend this lesson

Unit Readings

Mini-lessons

Activities

Going Further

Transcripts

What makes bridges so strong?

push

pull

force

balanced forces

unbalanced forces

design

engineer

pillar bridge

arch bridge

suspension bridge

truss bridge

model

Vocabulary

Unit Readings

Assessments

Image & Video Credits

Activity Prep

Vocabulary

Assessments

Prepare With Some Engineering Inspiration

22 mins

30 mins

Student link

Google Classroom

Email parents

Unit Readings

Mini-lessons

Activities

Going Further

Transcripts

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