Bridge Building Olympics / Les Olympics de la construction

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Bridge Building Olympics!

Click HERE for the game.

The task for you industrious grade 5s is to design a bridge that will withstand the trampling of strange creatures, and fit within a certain building budget.  It really is a challenge!

You must select a type of material, and then build a way across, as well as supporting structures.  The game instructions gives you hints about what kinds of materials you might use, and what kinds of shapes you might use to make your bridge strong.

The game has many levels, and the difficulty increases with every level.  See how far you can get - this is the Olympics, of course, and there will be a gold, a silver, and a bronze medal winner for the class!



For Parents and Guardians

As part of the grade 5 Science & Technology curriculum, we are completing a unit under the Understanding Structures and Mechanisms strand entitled "Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms."  Throughout this unit, students will be exploring the forces that act externally and internally, how to measure those forces, and how natural forces (e.g., earthquake, hurricane, etc.) impact society and the environment.

Specifically, students will be expected to "use technological problem-solving skills to design, build, and test a frame structure (e.g., a bridge, a tower) that will withstand the application of an external force (e.g., a strong wind or simulated vibrations from a train) or a mechanical system that performs a specific function (e.g., a building crane)" (Science & Technology, p. 102). The above-mentioned game covers all of these aspects of the curriculum expectation, and in a very engaging way.

Those of you parents and guardians who enjoy a challenge, please play the game with your child, and encourage your child to push themselves to understanding some of the principles of design (i.e., triangles provide strong support).

Happy building!

© 2011 K. Kerley