Stretch It Out

Grade Level
6th-10th grade
Introduction
If you were to hear words like Golden Gate, Brooklyn, and London, what would
come to mind? Hopefully you thought of bridges. A bridge is a structure built to span
obstacles and to make the transportation of people or cargo a much easier task. The
next time you are out for a drive with your parents, count the number of bridges that
you pass, drive over, or drive under. You will be surprised at the number.

Different types of bridges are used around the globe. Some of the most common
types are beam, arch, suspension, cable-stayed, and truss. These bridges have
unique characteristics, with some spanning many miles. The type of bridge built is
usually determined by its purpose, its length, the materials available, and the load
that will be placed on it.

The design of a bridge must be carefully considered. Safety, reliability, and cost are
three of many determining factors. In this activity teams will apply what they know
about bridges and the shapes used to create them. Students will attempt to
construct the longest spanning bridge to hold a specific weight and built entirely of
paper and Scotch tape.

Equipment
 Computers with Internet access
 8 ½ X 11 sheets of paper
 Scotch tape
 1 Tennis ball

Estimated Time
 1 ½ hours

Procedure
Working in teams of two, you will spend 20 minutes conducting an online
investigation of bridge types. Your team will then design and build a bridge to hold a
Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Copyright 2010
Project 1.2 Bridge Span – Page 1
 specified weight in the middle for a predetermined timeframe using only the
materials provided. The objective is to build the longest spanning bridge while still
supporting the specified weight. You have 45 minutes to complete your bridge. After
the 45 minutes is expired, the testing will begin.

Materials List
You will be provided with the following building materials.

1. 8 sheets of 8 ½ X 11 of paper
2. 18 in. Scotch tape

Constraints
1. The bridge cannot be taped to the support embankments.
2. The bridge must be able to be transported to the testing station in the classroom.
3. The tennis ball being used as the weight must be the tallest part of the bridge
when testing for span length.
4. The tennis ball must be supported for one minute.
5. Each team will have three chances to test the bridge per round. The teacher or
mentor can determine how many redesign rounds to offer.

The winner of this challenge will be the team who builds the bridge with the longest
span capable of holding the tennis ball for the allotted time.

Conclusion
1. What would you have done differently if you could modify your bridge?

2. What was challenging about this project?

3. Could you have built your bridge more efficiently to make the bridge longer
without using more materials? How?

Project Lead The Way, Inc.

Copyright 2010
Project 1.2 Bridge Span – Page 2