8th grade successfully used the engineering design process to build and test a bridge made out of plastic drinking straws and string. They were required to build a structure that supported a small plastic cup (2g), a glass beaker (200g), and a science textbook (over 610g each). They measured, recorded, and analyzed their data. They learned how to identify and solve problems. They learned that a tetrahedron was sturdier than a cube. Next, they improved on their designs to build their bridges even stronger. Some designs far exceeded the minimum live load requirements, and one group was able to support about 4 kilograms without collapsing their bridge.
Oct 30, 2026
