In teams, students will act as civil engineers and build a segmental bridge model. Instead of building it out of concrete, which is messy and needs a few weeks to harden, they will use Styrofoam. Styrofoam is a weaker material than concrete, so instead of having to use special steel cables, a small diameter bungee cord will do.
Click here to download the teacher notes for Construction Management.
| NGSS Disciplinary Core Idea | Student Action |
|---|---|
| ETS.HS.1C.a Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. | Students systematically test and analyze the success of various cord tensions and placement of load as they build segmental bridge models. |
| Common Core Standard | Student Action |
|---|---|
| 8.F.B.5 Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph (e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally. | Students create and analyze a graph displaying the results from the segmental bridge project. |
Lesson 1 - Introduction: 30 - 60 minutes
Lesson 2 - Projects: 150 - 180 minutes
Lesson 3 - Quiz: 30 - 60 minutes