Paper Bridge

• What shape seemed to be the weakest/strongest?

• What part of the bridge seemed to collapse first?

• Where was the bridge weakest?

• What would you use to make the paper bridge even stronger?

• What do you think would happen if the desks were farther apart? Closer together? Why?

• What do you think would happen if you could anchor the bridges to the desks? Why?

Words to know:

1. Beam Bridge
   A simple type of bridge made with a flat beam supported at each end.

2. Span
   The length between two supports on a bridge — like how far it stretches without touching the ground in between.

3. Support
   The strong parts of a bridge that hold it up, like piers or abutments.

4. Load
   The weight the bridge has to carry, like cars, people, or the bridge itself.

5. Compression
   A force that pushes or squeezes parts of a bridge together.

6. Tension
   A force that pulls or stretches parts of a bridge apart.

7. Prototype
   A model you build to test your ideas before making the real thing.

8. Design
   A plan or drawing that shows how something will be built or made.

9. Test
   Trying out your model to see if it works the way you planned.

10. Improve