Ep.19: Building Bridges
What keeps building from toppling over in the wind? Why are some earthquake-proof and others not? We’re going to look at how engineers design buildings and bridges while making our own.
Can you build a bridge using only popsicle sticks and hot glue that can carry a bottle of water? (For smaller kids, use a smaller water bottle.) The only limitation is that you may not glue the bridge to the table. I will use masking tape to attach the end of the bridge to the table if needed only after they build the bridge and are ready for testing.
Materials
- Popsicle sticks (big box)
- Hot glue guns and glue sticks
- Bottle of water (empty at first)
- Two tables parallel to each other, spaced 3 to 4 feet apart
- Optional: 5 feet of string
- Optional: Scale for measuring weight of water in the bottle
Download the student worksheet that goes with this lesson.
