Alicia Alvarado 

Professor Kalas  

November 6, 2020 

Activity Plan (Early Elementary): Build a Bridge 

Objective: ​Children will use knowledge of the properties of materials and bridges to 
document and create their own 3D bridges. 
Materials:​ cardboard tubes, pieces of cardboard, popsicle sticks, plastic cups, straws, 
pipe cleaners, styrofoam, egg crates​, tape, paper clips, paper, markers, images of 
different bridge styles 

Scaffolding:​ This activity builds upon children's basic understanding of gravity and 
balance.  
Procedure: 
Step 1: First the teacher will present the students with pictures of different styles of 
bridges and discuss their basic functions.  
Step 2: The teacher will explain and model the process of designing a simple bridge 
using paper and markers to draw one. This is called a blueprint and it can be used in 
the process of building a bridge.  
Step 3: Teacher will build a simple bridge based upon the design. Then, students will 
be provided with their own sheet of paper and a marker and instructed to draw their 
own bridge design. They will have access to photos of real bridges to refer to, as well 
as teacher guidance.  

Step 4: Students can be placed into groups of 4 and given a basket of various 
materials (​cardboard tubes, pieces of cardboard, popsicle sticks, plastic cups, straws, 
pipe cleaners, styrofoam, egg crates​, tape, paper clips) to use in the construction of 
the bridge they have designed. 
There should be enough of each type of material for each student to have their choice 
selection of each type of material.  

Step 5: Students will be allowed to build their bridges interdependently with feedback 
from teachers and peers.  
Step 6: Students will be allowed to voluntarily present their bridge design and the final 
product where they can discuss their process with peers in a share aloud.  
DAP support:​ "[a good science program] encourages children to reflect on, represent, 
and document their experiences and share and discuss their ideas with others." DAP 
Page 141 

 ​Open ended questions for children: 

● What will happen if we put something heavy, round, light, ect. on this part of the 
bridge? Why? 
● How strong do you think your bridge should be? 
● Why did you use these materials for your bridge? 

● What can your bridge be used for (ie. cars, people, other)? 

● What is the name of your bridge and why? 

● What other materials could you use to create a bridge?