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Ask the students to take a sheet of paper and construct a bridge which
will span an 8-inch gap between desks. They should not use any materials
to anchor the bridge to the desks.
When the students have achieved
this first step, ask them to experiment by adding small weights, one at
a time, to the center of the bridge. When their bridge collapses, have the
students try to construct an even stronger bridge, using another sheet of
paper.
Keep a record of the trials. Ask the students to draw the shape of their
bridge and mark down how much weight each bridge held before collapsing.
In addition to having them write down "five pennies" or "three paper clips,"
have the students measure the weights of the pennies, paper clips, or
whatevers, on a scale, and record the loads on the bridges. Have the students
draw a cross-section of their bridges, as well as a silhouette, so that
they will be able to look closely at which constructions were successful
and which were not.
Have the students share their particularly strong or weak bridges with the
rest of the class. Discuss and chart the shapes which were discovered to
be successful. Ask the following questions:
