Bridge building is a staple STEM Activity with loads of fun variations. Bridge projects encourage engineering skills with experimenting, prototyping, inventing, and creating! The low-prep STEM labs in this blog post facilitate STEM learning using simple low-cost materials and fun activities! They spark creativity and challenge students to imagine, plan, build, test, and revise! Bridge building can be challenging, but it’s so fun to see them work together to finish the task!
For all of these STEM Activity bridge challenges, I like to start off this lesson by talking about different types of bridges, asking the students what bridges they’ve seen in our area, what they look like, what might be unique about them, how they are different and the same. I also like to show them examples of different types of bridges and have the students map-out or draw what they want their bridge to look like.
Popsicle Bridge
This activity challenges kids to a bridge from popsicle sticks (craft sticks) that will hold as much weight as possible. The student’s favorite part is when their very own bridge gets to be tested to see how much it can hold.
My students have tried different methods the stick the popsicle sticks together like glue, glue sticks, hot glue (but HAS TO BE supervised & with older kids), & different types of tape. You will want to limit the amount of tape they can use if you make tape an option. There are more options you can explore as well such as glue dots, double stick tape, poster putty, etc.! I generally give the kids about 45 minutes to complete their bridges but sometimes a bit longer. I like to test the bridges at the end of class, however depending on their method of attaching the popsicle sticks (such as if their glue isn’t dry), I might wait until the next class session to do the testing. I like to test these between two different tables of the same height and, ideally, if you have a spring scale you can use that to get an exact measure of the force you are putting on the bridge. If not, that’s totally fine! There are other great ways to measure the amount of force each bridge is capable of holding as well! You can set different objects on the bridges to test them such as a stapler, a book…anything that won’t break when it falls!
Please click here check out this Activity Challenge on TpT for a video demonstration that teaches you how to run the activity with tips and advice and the science behind it! It also includes teacher instructions, student instructions (worksheet), grading rubric, a demonstration video for the teacher, a materials needed sheet, and the related NGSS standards!
Straw Bridge
Work in groups to create a bridge that will hold as much weight as possible. After constructing the bridge, students (or the teacher) will start placing pennies into the cup that is part of the bridge. How many pennies will each bridge hold before it collapses? Students will have a great time testing their design.
For this bridge STEM project I specify that it must span a distance of 8″ and is tested by using pennies in a cup. Students will need to figure out a way to secure their cup into their bridge so that it doesn’t fall over when it’s being tested. You also have to limit how much masking tape your students will use! Otherwise they can end of with a bridge that won’t fail ;-). Also stress that they aren’t not building a deck with all of the straws taped together—I usually limit the amount of straws students can use for the “deck” of their bridge to five or six straws! When testing these bridges, gauge how many pennies to put in at a time based on how long you think their bridge will last, so it doesn’t fail right away!
Please click here check out this Activity Challenge on TpT for a video demonstration that teaches you how to run the activity with tips and advice and the science behind it! It also includes teacher instructions, student instructions (worksheet), grading rubric, a demonstration video for the teacher, a materials needed sheet, and the related NGSS standards!
Index Card Bridge
Work in a group to build a bridge from index cards that will span some “raging waters” (blue construction paper). Their bridges will be tested by adding pennies until it falls!
They have eight different cards to practice with but will need to save two cards off to the side for the final build! I let them text their different practice bridges with pennies so they can see what designs will work best and how to modify their designs to get the best result. The kids need to build a bridge out of paper that is strong enough to withstand the force of gravity on it with as many pennies in their cup as possible!
Please click here check out this Activity Challenge on TpT for a video demonstration that teaches you how to run the activity with tips and advice and the science behind it! It also includes teacher instructions, student instructions (worksheet), grading rubric, a demonstration video for the teacher, a materials needed sheet, and the related NGSS standards!
Marshmallow Bridge
In this activity, students will work in groups to build a bridge from mini marshmallows and toothpicks. They will need to span a distance of 6 inches. Gravity will be pulling their bridge down, but students will create a bridge strong enough to overcome the force of gravity! Even though the activity on TpT is specified for K-2, it’s really great for all ages!
Please click here check out this Activity Challenge on TpT for a video demonstration that teaches you how to run the activity with tips and advice and the science behind it! It also includes teacher instructions, student instructions (worksheet), grading rubric, a demonstration video for the teacher, a materials needed sheet, and the related NGSS standards!
