• Home
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

My World Their Way

STEM Activities for kids

  • My World Their Way
  • At Home Learning
    • Math
    • Literacy
    • Science
    • STEM
  • Kids Activities
    • Art and Craft
    • Games
  • Books
    • Books for Kids
  • Parenting
  • PRINTABLES
    • Coloring Pages

How to build a Straw Bridge – STEM Activity

Who isn’t fascinated by bridges ? Staying in California gives us the opportunity to drive across different bridges and be amazed at these engineering marvels. So, we decided to learn more about the various types of bridges for today’s stem activity, design and build a straw bridge model and test it by placing some weight on it.

To begin the activity, we looked at a couple of pictures of various types of bridges ( Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco , The Tower Bridge in London , Sydney Harbor Bridge, and different bridges especially in California HERE ) and I asked my kids.

  • What shapes do you see in these structures?
  • Which parts of the structure do you think help most for making it really strong? Why?
  • Which shapes do you think most help the structure become strong?

Introducing the Mathematical Idea

We talked about how triangle is the strongest shape and used in most of the bridges. And we tested it ourselves before building the bridge model. Kids quickly grabbed some toothpicks and clear tape and made different shapes to check and see which shapes are rigid or flexible when gently pushed on one corner.

I then showed them a simulation of the strength of different shapes in a building HERE.

Types of Bridges

Now it was time to look at the different types of bridges and the forces acting on them before beginning to build one : Beam, Arch, Cable-Stayed, Cantilever, Suspension and Truss.

Beam: Beam bridges are the oldest bridges known and prove to be the easiest to design and build. These bridges are horizontal and supported at the end of each side. This form of bridge rests on the top of the beams that pressing straight down on both ends of the bridge.


Arch: Arch bridges are arch-shaped. They have supports on each end, and the both ends of the abutments bear the center weight of the bridge.


Grammarly Writing Support

Suspension: Cables are used for carrying suspension bridges. The cables are suspended from towers connected to cofferdams. Such blocks are deeply mounted. in the water’s surface or body.


Truss: Truss bridges have a sturdy deck and a frame of girders on the sides. They are build either by putting many triangle frames together or by using a pyramid style frame.

TrussBridge

Cable-stayed: Closely resembling suspension bridges, cable-stayed bridges are supported by cables except they use fewer cables. The towers that hold the cables are much shorter than suspension bridges. (Tatara Bridge) 

STEM Activity – Build a Straw Bridge

Kids were eager to start their STEM activity and build a straw bridge of their own. They first made a design on the paper, discussed and tweaked it, and went on to build their own bridge, tested it and then made modifications to make it stronger.

They first taped together multiple straws to make the deck of the bridge.

deck of bridge using straw

Then, they created multiple triangle frames and joined them together to create a pyramid style frame.

assembling the triangles

Once everything was assembled, It was time to test both the models.

testing the bridge deck
truss bridge model
Testing truss bridge model

and both the models did fairly well under the weight.

Further Discussion

We then discussed about the engineering element behind the design of a bridge.

  • How you think this information is used by engineers and architects while they are building ?
  • Which sorts of events are likely to push and pull on real life structures ( Gravity, water, wind etc ).
  • What factors the engineers take into consideration before constructing the bridges.
    • How far does the bridge need to stretch? A very short span or fairly long distance.
    • Does the location where a bridge is being build a crucial factor ? Is the ground firm enough to take large abutments for an arch? Is there a good bedrock where suspension cables can be anchored ?
    • If the bridge needs to cross a river, how can piers and towers be safely plunged into its bed so the flowing water doesn’t scour them away.
    • How much load the bridge has to bear ? Will it hold railroads, cars and pedestrians.
  • How will architects and engineers decide to have rigid structures ? When could they want them to be flexible?
    • Most bridges are designed to be primarily rigid, but with an expected amount of flexibility so that they can withstand strong wind or earthquake.
  • How can engineers increase the ability of a building to withstand earthquakes ? What is a cross brace ?
    • Using the square shape kids made before, add a 5th toothpick diagonally. The shape is now divided into small triangles and gives the initial square model more stability. This is called cross brace.

The kids then watched the video to learn more about the strength and weakness of each type of bridge.

WHY DO KIDS LEARN FROM STEM ACTIVITIES

So, what do kids learn from stem activities? They learn about the world around them and how it works by asking questions and finding answers. They develop problem-solving skills and teamwork abilities. And they have a blast doing it!

Why is it so important to incorporate stem in your kids education? The answer is simple – because science, technology, engineering, and math are the future. By giving your child a strong foundation in these essential areas at an early age, you’re setting them up for success in whatever field they choose to pursue later in life. Have you tried any of the other fun STEM activities from our blog today? If so, please tell us about your experience in the comments below.

  • PAPER CIRCUIT – HOW TO MAKE A LIGHT UP GREETING CARD
  • HOW TO MAKE AN AUTOMATA MODEL USING LEGO
  • HOW TO MAKE A SPIROGRAPH TOY
  • EASY STEM ACTIVITY FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Do you have any questions about how to get started? We would be happy to help.

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin735
735 Shares
«
»

STEM 6

Subscribe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marysa says

    August 3, 2020 at 6:43 am

    What a fun project! This takes me back to middle school, when we had to design a bridge and compete in class to see which bridge could support the most weight!

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    August 3, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    I am going to try this with my two little ones! They love these types of activities and I love keeping them busy 🤣

    Reply
  3. Janitza M Vasquez says

    August 3, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    This looks like so much fun and I know that my son would love this activity.

    Reply
  4. Melinda Cummings says

    August 3, 2020 at 9:27 pm

    Looks like a great project. We were just learning about bridges in my history of technology class — maybe this will help to reinforce some of the basics that I learned and help teach my kids.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Monica Tatomir says

    August 4, 2020 at 4:58 am

    Wow, what an amazing stem activity. I really like it. I should try it with my son. He is a toddler, but I am sure we can manage together!

    Reply
  6. Monica says

    August 4, 2020 at 1:06 pm

    This looks like an amazing stem activity. Hope I can do it with my toddler, we will have to rely greatly on instructions! Great post!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Get connected

Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on all our latest product releases, sales, and some free goodies!

Our Privacy Policy

  • FREE PRINTABLES
  • SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS
  • Privacy Policy

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

Footer

About the Designer

Follow on Instagram

🎲 Explore the Classic Fun of Dots and Boxes ! 📝
Remember those days huddled around a piece of paper, connecting dots to claim boxes? Relive the joy with our blog post on how to play Dots and Boxes – that classic paper and pencil game we all love! 📚🖊️
Bring back the timeless delight of Dots and Boxes. ➡️ https://myworldtheirway.com/2023/08/dots-and-boxes/
#DotsAndBoxes #ClassicGames #StrategyGames #FamilyFun
🎒 Back-to-School Vibes 🍎 Unleash the fun of 🎒 Back-to-School Vibes 🍎 Unleash the fun of learning with these vibrant color-by-number worksheets! From apples on books to globes and backpacks, these worksheets make numbers 1-20 an exciting adventure for all ages. Practice number recognition, addition and subtraction within 1- 20 📚✨ #BackToSchool #ColorByNumber #LearningFun"
Instagram post 18270364312104281 Instagram post 18270364312104281
GIVEAWAY CLOSED. Winner is @Teachingnextdoor . Con GIVEAWAY CLOSED. Winner is @Teachingnextdoor . Congratulations ! 
📣TPT is having a site wide sale on November 28th and November 29th , and I’d love to gift one of you with a $10 TPT gift card! 📣

To enter, simply:
Like this post
Follow me @myworldtheirway
Tag a friend
Comment below with an emoji

Bonus entries: 1 bonus entry for following me on TPT. Enter separate comment below for that 😄 (link in bio - Worksheets by Sush ) ⭐️

Check out my store during the sale- all my products will be on sale 🤩

Winner will be contacted by private messenger! Contest ends November 26th. Good luck!

( P.S. : Sale starts on November 28th at 12:01am ET and ends on Tuesday, November 29th at 11:59pm ET )

This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or affiliated with Instagram or Facebook. Participants must be 18+. Contest ends on Saturday, Nov. 26th at 8 pm PST. Entries will be verified and a winner will be announced in time to shop the sale!
Make a Christmas Tree Tessellation. A fun math art Make a Christmas Tree Tessellation. A fun math art project to do with kids. #christmas2022
Who says #halloween has to be all about spooky thi Who says #halloween has to be all about spooky things ? Solve these fun rebus puzzle aka picture puzzle and get into the holiday spirit !

#halloween2022
#halloween
Recently, we decided to learn the different art fo Recently, we decided to learn the different art forms and techniques used by different artists by creating our own unique artwork using their methods. And what can be better choice to start with than using Eric Carle’s  art technique to create the vibrant and colorful bugs as illustrated in his most famous book ‘The very Hungry Caterpillar’ .  What will you create ?
As a math lover, all I see is a #fibonacci pattern As a math lover, all I see is a #fibonacci pattern in the spirals of Romanesco Broccoli. Math is everywhere around us. Love the variety of vegetables and fruits offered at #saratogafarmersmarket
🔸 WHY DOES A BALLOON AMPLIFY SOUND 🔸 When y 🔸 WHY DOES A BALLOON AMPLIFY SOUND 🔸

When you think of speakers, loud sounds are typically the first thing that comes to mind. Speakers have amplifiers built in to make sounds louder. But did you know that a balloon may also be used as an amplifier to boost the volume?

Find out how in this science experiment for kids! 

https://myworldtheirway.com/2022/01/balloon-amplifier/

#scienceexperimentsforkids #kidsactivities
Follow on Instagram

Subscribe for Updates

Copyright © 2023 · Darling Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in