Operation Build a Bridge and Get Over It

Each group needs:

• 100 wooden tongue depressors or craft sticks
• Elmer's white school glue (NOT wood glue)
• ruler
• paper and pencil, to sketch and re-sketch bridge designs
• Pre-Activity Quiz (PDF), one per student
• Mission Possible Activity Worksheet (PDF), one per student
• Post-Activity Quiz (PDF), one per student
• computer with Internet connection, for research
• safety glasses, one pair per student, to use during testing

To share with the entire class:

• (optional) 8 x 10-inch printouts of a few broken bridges from around the world, such as the four pictured in Broken Bridge Photos Visual Aid (PDF), slipped into a manila envelope, for the activity introduction
• binder clips (clamp-style paper clips), used to clamp together bridges while drying
• small hand saws
• a way to test bridge strength, such as science lab hook masses or a hanging bucket with rocks, sand or other weights, with the bridge spanning a gap between two tables placed some distance apart; alternatively, use bridge-breaker equipment if available
• scale
• calculator
• (optional) camera