engineering
Engineering Design: Bridges
Students become civil engineers challenged to design, build and test bridges using the engineering design cycle. They'll learn about span, load, shapes, materials and more.

About the lab
- Grades: 4-8
- Capacity: 30 students
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Cost: $150
- Offered Tuesday through Friday at 10:15 and 11:45 a.m.
Next Generation Science Standards
Science and Engineering Practices:
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Constructing explanations
Crosscutting Concepts:
- Cause and effect
- Systems and system models
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
Common Core ELA/Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1, 3.3, 3.7, 3.10
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.7, 4.10
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1, 5.2, 5.4, 5.7, 5.10
Lab goals
Students will:
- 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.
- Become knowledgeable of the forces at play in construction projects through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities.
- 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.
- Acquire and practice lab skills.
- Design, build and test models bridges.
- Be given a challenge and work as a team to complete the task of building a successful bridge.