4 RescueByDesign v5

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Rescue by Design
4th Grade
Adapted from the Museum of Science, Rescue by Design © 1994
Unit Rationale:
Following the narrative of Rosie and Nia, two adventurous girls who become shrunken in size, the girls will
explore structural design. They will learn the basic concepts behind architecture and apply them to building
their own, weight bearing structures.
Session One
Focus On: Introduction and Building a Tower
Girls meet each other, and get introduced to the concepts of structural design. They build a tower made of
straws and paper clips. The goal is to design a tall structure that is able to stand on its own and to support
added weight.
Session Two
Focus On: Card Structures
In this session, the girls build a strong structure using only index cards and tape. The girls may be surprised
that a structurally sound design is able to support a stack of textbooks!
Session Three
Focus On: Domes and Load Distribution
In this session, the girls will build domes using toothpicks and gumdrops, exploring triangles in structural
design. Then, they will test the concept of load distribution to get cups and even balloons to support their own
weight.
Session Four
Focus On: Testing the Domes and Cantilevers
In the first part of this session, the girls test the domes they built in the previous session. In the second part,
the girls experiment with different cantilever designs in order to build the longest cantilever that is able to
support the most weight possible with limited time and supplies.
Session Five
Focus On: Introduction to Bridges
The group is introduced to various styles of bridges, and the concept of tension and compression. The girls
build a bridge model and explore different possibilities for strengthening the design
Session Six
Focus On: The Bridge Competition
The girls compete to design and build the strongest bridge that spans 20 inches and can hold weight. The girls
also keep track of costs to better understand how engineers work within cost constraints.
Session Seven
Focus On: Geodesic Domes
The girls work as a team to build their own Geodesic Dome.
©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 1

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session One
Focus On: Introductions/ Structural Engineering
 Question of the Day 15 minutes

 Activity One: Setting the Tone 15 minutes
 Activity Two: Introducing Rosie and Nia 10 minutes
 Activity Three: Building a Structure 20-25 minutes
 Reflection 10 minutes
About this Session Before Clubs Begin
In this first session, you will set the tone for the  Find out from your Site Coordinator what
entire program, providing the girls with a sense of additional first-day activities will be occurring at
physical and intellectual security, and with a sense your site (all-club assembly? Name game?
that this will be a friendly, fun experience for them. etc.), and any site-specific discipline policy.
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will be
You’ll need to introduce the Science Club for Girls responsible for what portions of the session and
Code of Conduct, our guidelines based on safety, prepare in advance of clubs.
respect, and teamwork. With the girls, you’ll create  Create nametags for yourself and the girls.
more specific expectations that the girls will agree  Make a Load Tester or two (see instructions
to follow and you agree to uphold. that follow)
Also in this session, the girls will spend some time

exploring how to build a tall structure that can stand
independently and support weight without buckling
or collapsing. By testing their structures as they go,
the girls will be able to revise their structures to be
sturdy and stable.
Session Objectives Age Appropriate Definitions
By the end of this session, your girls will: Structure: an organized arrangement of parts that
1. Agree to the rules and expectations of the make up a whole, such as a building
club
2. Know the science/engineering topic they will Load: the burden or weight supported by a
be exploring during the semester structure or part
3. Be familiar with the concepts of structure
and load
4. Experiment with structural design and test
structural soundness

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Materials for This Session
Activity 1: Introduction
Per Club Per Group Per Girl
Club Expectation Poster
Whiteboard Markers
Activity 2: Introducing Rosie and Nia
Printout of “Rescue by Design”
Narrative
Activity 3: Making a Structure
Measuring Tapes 20 straws, not flexible
Hole punch 18 metal paper clips (without
ridged metal)
Foil baking cup
5 pennies
Question of the Day (15 minutes)

The Question of the Day is a great way to introduce the activity of the day and get the girls centered. It should
be a regular starting routine of your club. The Question of the Day will usually be a question that kids and
adults think about in everyday life or a question that can lead to answering a common question. Use it to get
the girls talking but also focused.
Question: What are we going to be doing in Science Club for Girls this semester?
Convey to the girls that they are doing something unique and fun and that you are excited they are joining you!
Activity One: Setting the Tone (15 minutes)

Set the tone and create rules together that all the girls agree to follow.
1) Introduce and lead girls in the Science Club pledge. (This is a great opportunity for a Junior Mentor!)
Explain to girls that each week of Science Club will begin with the pledge, which is designed to get them
focused and excited about doing science together.
Your Pledge can be found on the back of the Code of Conduct or in the Volunteer Handbook.
2) Introduce each member of your mentoring team. Be sure the girls know:
 Each team members’ name and a fun fact about them (connected to science, the curriculum topic or
girls’ age)
 That Mentors and Junior Mentors will be working together to lead Science Clubs
3) Have each girl introduce herself.

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4th Grade
4) Before moving to the Code of Conduct, make sure the girls understand a few things that are important to
know over the course of the semester:
 Their science/topic for the semester that all projects will relate to.
 The type of scientist they are (Physicists, Biologists, Chemists, Engineers, etc.)
 At the end of the semester, the entire site will have a Science Fest and each club will teach others
about what they learned.
 This is a major point even for kindergarteners to grasp. Your girls should be reminded
throughout the sessions that they will teach and lead others including parents.
Be sure the girls are calmly sitting in a circle or at desks. As much as it is possible, ask mentors and junior
mentors who are not leading the activity to sit with the girls as well. Mentors in non-active teaching roles may
have a tendency to sit separate from the girls and sit with each other, but get them mixed in right away, to
support and model participation, and build relationships with girls.
5) Get the girls’ attention and make sure they are clearly focusing on you. Explain to them that before they
can do any science experiments, they must all agree to follow the three rules of Science Club. Introduce
the Code of Conduct. These are the 3 expectations that Science Club for Girls expects all
participants to follow.
6) Guide the girls to create more specific rules and write these under each code of conduct. Ask the girls
probing questions like, “Why do you think this is a rule we’ve made?” Or “What do we mean when we say
to be safe in Science Club for Girls?” The girls will offer very directive and obedient rules like, “No touching
dangerous materials.” Or “Don’t talk when the teacher is talking.” Think of ways to consolidate additional
expectations so that you don’t end up with a long list of “do’s and don’ts.” Add these to the Code of
Conduct so that the girls have a voice in the rules as well.
7) Once done, ask the girls to put their “thumbs up” to signify that they agree to follow the rules. You can also
have all the girls sign the rules sheet. Whatever you do, be sure that you have all the girls physically show
that they can agree to follow the rules. You’ll need this as back up as the sessions go on!
8) At this point, explain to the girls the consequence of not following a rule. Make sure girls know that not
following rules can result in a call home, being taken out of Science Club, and that it also makes the club
less fun because they might not be able to do all of the fun projects if things are unsafe. These are not
used to scare the girls; rather, firmly structured expectations and consequences are a regular part of an
out-of-school-time program.
A great way to continue to involve the girls is to ask them, “What happens when rules aren’t followed? What
happens when the rules are followed?” “Do groups have more or less fun when rules are followed?”
9) Now, explain to the girls the benefit of following the rules. (Great experiments! Getting to know each other!
Being curious! Fun!)
 Watch the clock. Be aware of the time since it is your first day.
10) Now, clearly go over the basic routine of the club. This involves:
 Where they meet each day there is SCFG (Cafeteria? Classroom? Gym?)
 What they are to do when entering the classroom (Sit on the rug? at a table? sit in a circle? some
tables off limits? Get their journals from the bin?)

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
 How you will show that you are ready to begin (Hands-up? Peace signs in the air? Clapping rhythm?)
 Review the Science Club routine - Pledge (required for Clubs Grades K-3), Question of the Day,
Activities, Clean up, Reflection
 Review how the club will end each session for reflection time (return to rug, back to tables? All areas
cleaned up?)
Activity Two: Introducing Rosie and Nia (10 minutes)

In this activity, the girls meet the stars of your adventure!
This entire semester is based on the story of Rosie and Nia, two adventurous girls who get shrunk and need to
get back to their regular size! Each week, the girls will have a different engineering challenge that will bring
them one step closer to being full-sized again.
Start this week by reading Part 1 of Rosie and Nia’s adventure. Be sure to be animated as you read!
Activity Three: Building a Structure (20-25 minutes)

In this activity, girls rely on prior knowledge and trial and error to create tall structure.
Making a Load Tester: Ideally, before the girls arrive, make one or two load testers for use during clubs.
Otherwise, quickly make one now.
1. Pick up a foil cup and measure down 1/8 inch from the top of the cup.
2. Mark three places where the holes should go. Make sure the holes are evenly placed around the side
of the cup. To punch the holes, use a sharp pencil or hole puncher.
3. Unfold three paper clips into “S” shapes.
4. Slip one end of each paper clip through one of the holes in the cup.
5. Slip a fourth unfolded paper clip through the other paper clips to make a hanger that you will use to
hang from the structure.
6. Fill each tester with 5 pennies to start.
Next, tell the girls that their challenge is to build a structure using only straws and paper clips that will support a
load of at least 5 pennies, the approximate weight of the shrunken Nia. Show them the load tester and explain
that this will have to hang from the top of their structure without causing the structure to collapse or fall over.
Explain that this is a contest to see how high we can build a structure that will still support the load of pennies.
Explain that as the girls build higher and higher, they will have to test their structure to make sure it supports
the load.
Before they begin building, have a brief discussion with the girls to give them some ideas about strong and
stable structures. Use the following questions as prompts:
 What are the best shapes for tall structures?
 What kind of support does your structure need to continue standing as you build up?
 What are some good ways to build a base for a tall structure?

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
 Use this as a time to let the girls generate ideas. Don’t try to force any answers on them because
we want them to explore structural design as they go and as they experiment with different shapes
and designs.
Let the girls build structures in pairs, using only the straws and paper clips provided to them. As they go,
encourage them to test their structures with the live-load testers. If the testers cause the straws to buckle or
cause the structure to wobble or fall over, encourage the girls to fix the problem. Do they need to build a bigger
base? Do they need to reinforce the structure with more straws? What shapes might be sturdier?
Let the girls build as tall as possible, making sure that their structure can still support the pennies. When there
are 15 minutes left, have the girls finish up their structures, however high they are at that point is as high as
they should go. Get the girls together and test their final structures at the top. Whichever structure is tallest that
can support the weight from the top is the winner!
Ask the girls what was successful about the final structures that could support the load. Try to identify the
columns and beams that give support to the load and help make the structure rigid and stable. Here are some
questions that may help to promote discussion:
 Were you surprised by anything that happened?
 What shapes worked best? What shapes did not work?
 Did the straws bend when you placed the load tester on them? If so, did they stay bent when you
removed the load?
Reflection (10 minutes)

Reflection is a time to bring your girls together and share their thoughts, expressions, and discoveries
from today’s club. It is an essential component of the Science Club for Girls experience.
As a group, summarize the topic and question of the day, using the girls’ journal as a guide.
Girls can write or draw in their journals. Many girls will need help getting going, so offer your guidance in
getting them to write or draw.
Have them draw the structure they built. What are some ways they might make their structure even stronger?
What materials could have made their structure stronger? Have them diagram a new structure with their
hypotheses.
After clubs are done for the day, read what your girls wrote and write something back to them in the space
provided. This is a valuable way for you to develop a dialogue with each girl. Be supportive in your comments,
especially in the early weeks when girls are still getting to know you.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session Two
Focus On: Card Structures

 Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues 5-10 minutes
 Activity Two: Card Structures 30 minutes
 Reflection 20 minutes
About this Session Session Objectives
In this session, the girls will build a new structure By the end of this session, your girls will:
using cards and tape. This will provide the 1. Be introduced to the uses of columns and
opportunity to compare the characteristics of cards beams
versus straws as building materials. They will also 2. Test the structural advantages of index
explore elements of structural design like the use, cards versus straws
placement, and size of columns. This is an
opportunity for the girls to creatively explore design
possibilities and to test and revise their structures
to support more weight.
Before Clubs Begin: Age Appropriate Definitions
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will be Design - the organization or structure of parts
responsible for what portions of the session and
prepare in advance of clubs. Column - a sturdy, upright support
 Set out nametags.
 Make examples of different shapes using index Beam - a sturdy, horizontal support
cards
Activity 1: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues

Printout of “Rescue by Design” Narrative
Activity 2: Card Structures
Scissors 20 index cards
Rulers 4 feet masking tape
Wooden blocks

Rescue By Design
4th Grade

What shapes do you see in different structures? How about in front of the Museum of Fine Arts or the
US Capitol building?
Invite the girls to name all the shapes they can imagine seeing in structures. If they are really struggling you
can pull up or draw some pictures to help them. If they are still stuck give out some hints: columns, flat sides
made of stones, domes, etc.
Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues (5-10 minutes)

In this activity, the girls find out how Rosie and Nia’s adventure develops.
Read Part 2.
Activity Two: Card Structures (30 minutes)

In this activity, the girls build a structure using index cards and tape and test the structural soundness
of their creation by placing a load on it.
Before beginning the activity, discuss building materials (straws vs. cards) with the girls.
 Could you build the same kinds of structures with these cards as you did with the straws? If so, how?
If not, why not?
 Why are cards a good building material – is it the shape? The size? The ability to be folded?
 Anything else?
Have the girls brainstorm some different shapes that the cards could be folded into. They could fold, bend, roll,
or stack them. Draw some of these shapes (cylinders, prisms, squares, fans, tents, etc.) on the board for the
girls to see. Give the girls each a few index cards to try making these shapes. Have them quickly test out the
shapes to see which are strongest. The girls can try crushing the structures with their hands to get a sense of
which are most easily destroyed.
1. Split the girls up into pairs.

2. Give each pair 30 index cards and 8 ft of masking tape.
3. Explain to the girls that the contest is to build a structure that is at least 3 inches tall (the width of an
index card) and that can support the greatest load (text books or wooden blocks work well).
Have the girls test their structures as they are building. This way they will be able to make changes to their
original design in the case that their structure is not as strong as they thought. As you help them with the
building and testing, be sure to casually introduce the concepts of beams and columns. Point out the beams
and columns that the girls have build into their designs already. Suggest ways that they might improve upon
them by changing shapes or placement in the structure.
With 10 minutes left in the session, have all of the girls test their structures for a final time. How many books
did each structure hold? Discuss with the girls the following questions:
 Which shapes were used in the strongest buildings?

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
 What were the most successful parts of the structures that supported a lot of weight?
 Do we see any of those features in the structures and buildings around us?
 What features of cards make them good for supporting loads?
Add some of these ideas and conclusions to the chart you started last week. Did any of the same ideas
resurface? What are the connections between these activities? Are the activities leading to similar conclusions
about structure? Different conclusions? Why might this be?
Reflection (20 minutes)
Review the topic and question of the day with the girls.
Ask them to diagram the structure they built with cards this week. How was it similar to their straw structure
from last week? How was it different? How do straws and cards compare in strength? What features do
straws and cards each have that make them good building materials or poor building materials?
Be sure to write something back to each girl in her journal after clubs are done for the day.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session Three
Focus On: Domes and Load Distribution

 Activity Two: Gumdrop Domes 20 minutes
 Activity Three: Cup Challenge 10-15 minutes
 Activity Four: Balloon Challenge If Time Permits
 Reflection 10-15 minutes
About This Session Session Objectives
In the first part of this session, the girls will learn By the end of this session, your girls will:
about the construction and stability of domes. In 1. Explore the use of triangles in structural
terms of specific concepts, they will explore the design.
triangles used to construct domes. Each girl will 2. Build their own domes using toothpicks and
build a dome using gumdrops and toothpicks. The gumdrops.
gumdrop domes that the girls build will not be 3. Test the importance of weight distribution to
tested until the following session because the support a load.
gumdrops need time to harden in order to be
strong.
In the second part of this session, the girls will test

the importance of weight distribution by using a
cardboard platform with cups and even balloons to
support their own weight.
Before Clubs Begin: Age Appropriate Definitions
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will be Architect: someone who designs buildings or other
responsible for what portions of the session and constructions
prepare in advance of clubs.
 Set out nametags. Dome: anything shaped like a hemisphere or an
 Practice building a dome using toothpicks and upside-down bowl
gumdrops.
Load Distribution: sharing weight evenly among
parts

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Activity 1: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues

Narrative
Activity 2: Gumdrop Domes
Large paper plate
25 toothpicks
11 spice drops
Activity 3: Cup Challenge
2 sturdy cardboard squares 24” x 24” 15 paper cups, small
Activity 4: Balloon Challenge
5 small balloons

How could you design a stool out of cups and cardboard? (Cup Challenge)
Invite the girls to brainstorm and use their imagination. Encourage them to think about how to position cups
(upside down) to be most stable, and how distributing weight across many cups might make it possible to hold
more weight.

In this activity, the girls continue with Rosie and Nia’s adventure.
Read part 3.
Activity Two: Gumdrop Domes (20 minutes)

In this activity, the girls will build domes using toothpicks and gumdrops and will explore triangles in
structural design.
Start with a brief discussion of domes. What is a dome shape? A useful image is a basketball that has been
sliced in half. The dome is one half of the basketball, one half of a sphere. What other examples of domes can
the girls think about? Try to introduce the concept of domes in structures and buildings. We typically see
domes on top of buildings. Why might this be? Where have the girls seen domes in nearby buildings (e.g. the
State House)? Does a dome seem like a strong shape? Why or why not?
1. Tell the girls that they will be building domes out of gumdrops and toothpicks. We will let the gumdrops
harden and then we will test how strong they are. Ask the girls how strong they think the domes will be?
Will they be able to support books? How many?

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
2. Distribute 11 gumdrops and 25 toothpicks to each girl. The girls will most likely want to eat the gumdrops or
ask if they can. Tell them that they may not eat any of those 11 gumdrops because they need them all to
build the dome. You may choose to tell the girls that they might be able to eat some extra gumdrops at the
end of Science Clubs if there are any left.
3. Lead the girls in building the dome, since it must be a particular shape (directions follow). Build an
example as you go so the girls can follow you and see what you are doing. As much as possible, try to
keep the girls at the same stage of building so no one is too far ahead or behind.
4. Use five gumdrops to connect five toothpicks in a ring. This is your base.
5. Use two toothpicks and one gumdrop to make a triangle on one side of the base.
6. Repeat this all around the base until you have five triangles.
7. Put one gumdrop at the apex of each of the five triangles. Then use toothpicks to connect the gumdrops at
the tops of the triangles.
8. Push one toothpick into each of the top gumdrops.
9. Use one last gumdrop to connect these toothpicks at the top.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
(Images courtesy of Zoom website http://pbskids.org/zoom/sci/gumdome.html )
Do the girls think their domes will support a load? Why or why not?
Once the girls have finished, have them label their structures by writing their names on a piece of masking tape
and attaching it to their domes. Collect the domes and put them away. Tell the girls that the gumdrops need
time to harden and that they will be using the domes again next week.
Activity Three: Cup Challenge (10-15 minutes)

In this activity, the girls will discover the importance of weight distribution in supporting a load.
1. Tell the girls to place one cardboard square on the floor, and put a bunch of cups face down on top of it.
2. Then, when they think they have enough cups to support their weight, put the other cardboard square
on top. With a friend to spot you, carefully stand on the platform.
3. Did it hold you? If it did, try it using fewer cups. See how many cups you need to support you.
Here's why it works. If you try to stand on just one cup, it will smoosh. That's because all of your weight is
pushing, or compressing, the cup. But if you arrange the cups, and put a piece of cardboard on top, then the
cardboard spreads out your weight. So, each cup supports less weight. That means that there isn't too much
weight on any one cup.
Ask the girls to experiment with the strong shape they learned about in building domes: triangles. Have them
discover what the smallest amount of cups they need (arranged in a triangle) to support their weight.
Activity Four: Balloon Challenge (If Time Permits)

In this activity, the girls will apply their understanding of weight distribution to test the ability of
balloons to support them.
Repeat the above challenge, but use balloons instead of cups!
Use small balloons (don’t blow them up too large). You may need to tape the balloons to the cardboard and
floor to keep them from slipping.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Reflection (10-15 minutes)
If you did not have time for the balloon challenge, ask the girls if they think they could run the cup challenge
with balloons instead of cups? Do they have ideas about how they could do it? (Do not tell them how to do the
balloon challenge unless they are really struggling; allow them to come up with their own ideas right or wrong)

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session Four
Focus On: Testing the Domes and Cantilevers

 Activity Two: Testing the Domes 15-20 minutes
 Activity Three: Cantilevers 25-30 minutes
In the first part of this session, the girls will test the By the end of this session, your girls will:
structural strength of their domes. They will work in 1. Test the structural soundness of their
groups to make an arrangement of domes that will domes.
support a load of books. 2. Explore cantilevers by building their own
that will support a load of pennies.
In the second part of this session, the girls will be 3. Have a basic understanding of some of the
learning about how to design cantilevers. A design elements of bridges (triangles and
cantilever is any structure that is fixed at one end cantilevers).
and extends outward horizontally from that base
without touching the ground at another point (for
example, a ruler that extends off the end of a table).
The goal of this activity is for the girls to explore
what designs are the longest and the strongest
when there is nothing supporting the structure from
underneath.
Before Clubs Begin Age Appropriate Definitions
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will Cantilever: a sturdy construction extending
be responsible for what portions of the horizontally well beyond its vertical support
session and prepare in advance of clubs.
 Retrieve domes from the previous week
Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues

Printout of “Rescue by Design” Narrative
Activity Two: Testing the Domes
Domes from previous week
Assortment of heavy books
Activity Two: Cantilevers
A measuring tape or yard stick Craft Sticks
200 pennies, taped in stacks of 10 3 Feet of masking tape

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4th Grade

Why is it harder to push open a door when pushing nearer the hinges than the handle? How
does length change the amount of force something can withstand?
Have the girls try pushing on different point of the door. If they cannot answer the question of the day,
let them know that the second activity will help to answer this question.
Read part 4.
Activity Two: Testing the Domes (15-20 minutes)

In this activity, the girls will test the structural strength of their domes by using them to support
a load of books.
Since the domes come to a point on the top, it may be difficult to balance the books on top. Therefore,
the girls should work in small teams, depending on the number of girls present. Groups of three or four
girls should work, so that they can “pool” their domes together.
Each girl will bring the dome she made to her group. The girls should spend no more than 5 minutes
discussing a strategy for arranging the domes so that they can support the most number of books. Help
the girls think of different ways of arranging the domes. It may help to remind them of what they learned
about weight distribution.
 How many domes do they think they will need to hold up a book?
 Should they be clustered together? Spread apart under the book?
 Should the domes be stacked on top of each other? Standing next to each other?
Encourage all the girls in the group to share their opinion on how the domes should be arranged. The
girls can use the domes while they do this to get a sense of how they should be placed under the
books.
Have the girls come to a group conclusion about how to arrange the domes. The girls should write
down their strategy and their rationale on a piece of paper. They could write something like, “We are
going to put the domes under the four corners of the book so the book will be balanced.”
Allow the girls to test their dome arrangement with textbooks. Carefully place a book on top. If the dome
supports one book, keep going! How many books can the dome support?
Have the girls share their results very briefly. Conclude with a discussion about both the strength of the
domes themselves and the success of their arrangement hypothesis. How strong were the domes?
Why? Ask the girls what shapes they can see in the dome. Explain to the girls (if they do not come to
this conclusion on their own) that a lot of domes are made up of small triangles because triangles are
stable shapes. That means they don’t bend or twist or collapse easily when you push on them. Which
group’s dome arrangement was most successful? Why? What does this tell us about structure?

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Further Connection: If the girls seem interested, explain that a dome is shaped somewhat like an egg.
An egg is made up of two domes, one on each end. An egg can be very fragile, but it can also be very
strong, depending on where you put weight on it. An egg is strong because the weight spreads out over
the egg’s dome shape. Ask the girls where we crack eggs. Why do we crack eggs on the side and not
on the top or bottom? Why is it hard to crack an egg on the top or bottom?
Activity Three: Cantilevers (25-30 minutes)

In this activity, the girls will compete to build the longest cantilever off the edge of a table that
can support the greatest load of pennies at its farthest end.
Get the girls ready for the next activity, building a cantilever. Explain that the next activity is also about
building a strong structure that is able to support weight from the top. Unlike domes, cantilevers do not
rest on the table but rather extend from it.
Split the girls up into pairs for this activity. Tell the girls that they will have a limited amount of
supplies, and only have about 10-15 minutes (depending on the club) to build these cantilevers in order
to leave time and the end for testing. Give the girls a warning before they need to wrap up.
Tell the girls the following rules for their cantilevers (be clear):
1. The cantilever must extend at least 6 inches from the table edge. Having a minimum of 6 inches
will ensure a more sound design for cantilevers that are able to support the pennies.
2. The cantilever must be able to support at least 10 pennies at its furthest point.
3. Tell the girls that they can use as many straws as they want, but they only have three feet of
tape.
Brainstorm for about 5 minutes about how the girls might want to build the cantilever. What shapes will
they use? How will they secure the cantilever to the table? Will a wide or a narrow structure be
stronger? How can they best prevent the cantilever from bending or breaking? Would it be better to use
a lot of straws or few straws? The goal of the discussion is not to generate solid answers, but rather, to
get the girls thinking before they get started.
Have the girls compete to see who can build the longest cantilever that holds the most weight. Give the
girls 10 pennies with which to start so they can test as they build, then let the girls begin building their
cantilevers.
As the girls work, help them explore different ways of putting the sticks together. For example, it is
stronger to overlap them or to put them end-to-end. What shapes can they think of using? How do they
want to secure the cantilever to the table? What did they learn about the strongest cantilevers? How
can those ideas be adapted for greater lengths?
After the 10-15 minutes have passed, gather the girls to measure and test the strength of each
cantilever. If cantilevers look like they can hold more, distribute more pennies to the pairs and keep
testing until they find the max number of pennies.
Can the cantilevers hold 10 pennies? 15? 20? How many more can they hold? Have the girls record
the number of pennies that each cantilever can support before it collapses.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Which cantilever was the longest? How much weight could it support? Discuss the features of the
longest cantilevers.
What happens when a platform like a cantilever gets longer? Why does it start to bend? Where are the
“weak spots”? What could be done to make it stronger? What kind of supports could be added?
Though the girls will get to more of these ideas in the coming weeks when they explore trusses and
start building bridges, try to get the girls to brainstorm some ideas like bracing or supporting the
cantilever (though this would no longer be a cantilever, technically). The more they can think about
these ideas now, the easier and more fun it will be for them to build stable, strong, inventive bridges in
the coming sessions!
Add some of these ideas and conclusions to the chart you started in the first week. Did any of the same
ideas resurface? What are the connections between these activities? Are the activities leading to
similar conclusions about structure? Different conclusions? Why might this be?
What was their experience with cantilevers? Did it become harder to support a load of pennies the
longer their cantilever was? Have the girls diagram their cantilevers (be sure to include the length and
how many pennies it could hold). What might the girls do differently the next time they build a
cantilever? Have them diagram their new cantilever next to their old one.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session Five
Focus on: Introduction to Bridges

 Activity Two: Lego Bridges 10-15 minutes
 Activity Three: Suspension Bridge 30 minutes
In this session, girls will become civil engineers as By the end of this session, your girls will:
they construct bridges. They will learn about 1. Differentiate different bridge types
different styles of bridges and why these different 2. Build at least one style of bridge
styles are necessary.
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will Tension: the act of being stretched or strained
be responsible for what portions of the
session and prepare in advance of clubs. Compression: the act of being pressed together
 Load a video clip of the Tacoma Narrows
Bridge collapse –
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n
Fzu6CNtqec

Narrative
Pictures of Bridge Types
Activity Three: Lego Bridges
Tub of Legos
Tape measure
Activity Four: Suspension Bridges
12 Wooden Clothespins
4 pieces of sturdy cardboard, 6” x 14”
Masking tape
2 rulers
2 strings, 7.5’ long
6 strings, 17” long
Toy car

Rescue By Design
4th Grade

Why are there different kinds of bridges?
Ask the girls if they can describe different kinds of bridges that they’ve seen. They probably can’t use
the technical terms, but they should be able to describe that some bridges hang from cables and other
bridges a supported with beams. They may be able to name some famous or local bridges.
Show them pictures of the different styles of bridges, some of which they may know. Ask them why it is
necessary to have different styles of bridges. Here are some answers:
 Different (span) lengths – some bridge types can’t be built very long
 Cost
 Time to build – some bridges need to be built quickly
 Some are more aesthetically pleasing (pretty) than others
Bridge-building is serious business. When a bridge isn’t built properly, it can collapse. If possible,
show the girls a video clip of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Read part 5.
Activity Two: Lego Bridges (10-15 minutes)

In this activity, the girls will build Lego bridges that can support the force of three fingers
pressing down on the middle. It can be as simple or as complex as the girls’ interests dictate.
Divide the girls into pairs. Depending on your group, you can either choose to divide the Legos evenly
to each group or you can allow the girls select pieces based on their needs from the central supply.
Tell the girls to build a Lego bridge that is at least six inches in length (from outer edge to outer edge).
The bridge should be able to handle the force of three fingers pressing in the middle of the bridge.
Most girls will build a structure similar to this one, which will
collapse when pressed on:

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
See if they can figure out how to reinforce the center of the
bridge. You may suggest something like this:
Activity Three: Suspension Bridge (30 minutes)

In this activity, the girls work in teams to build a suspension bridge.
Explain to the girls that they will be learning more about how forces act on a bridge, and what it means
for a bridge to be stable. Also, they learn that engineers must often work within a variety of physical
and economic constraints when designing an object or system.
1. Each team gets the materials listed above.

2. Tell the groups that they will use their materials to build a bridge between two chairs. They
cannot use additional materials.
3. Once the girls have made progress have them test their bridge with a small toy car.
4. Next test what happens if there is an earthquake (gently shake the chairs), a strong wind (push
on the side of the bridge), or fall rocks (drop the toy car onto the bridge).
5. What happens when force acts on the bridge? What happens afterward? Did the bridge return
to its stable position?
6. Have the girls arrange their string differently to improve the strength of their bridge.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Have them diagram the bridges they built today, as well as improvements they would make to their
bridges in the future.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Arch Bridge – Longfellow Bridge (a.k.a. Salt and Pepper Bridge)
Steel Truss Bridge – BU Bridge

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Suspension Bridge – Footbridge in Public Garden (World’s Smallest Suspension

Bridge)
A Typical Beam Bridge

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Cable-stayed Bridge – Zakim Bridge (Widest in the World)

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session Six
Focus On: Bridge Competition

 Activity One: Bridge Design 15-20 minutes
 Activity Two: Bridge Competition 25-30 minutes
In this session, the girls will apply many of the By the end of this session, your girls will:
engineering principles they’ve learned to design 1. Design and build their own bridges
and build their own bridges. They will calculate the 2. Consider the cost of materials when
materials “cost” of their bridges and compete to see designing and constructing bridges
who can build the lowest cost bridge that meets
structural requirements.
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will be Materials – Substances out of which a thing is or
responsible for what portions of the session and can be made
prepare in advance of clubs.
Activity One: Bridge Competition

Per Club Per Group (Pairs) Per Girl
30 pennies
30 straws, not flexible
30 Index cards
30 Paper clips
String
Tape

Rescue By Design
4th Grade

Who pays for the bridges we drive and walk on?
Have the girls ever considered who pays for the bridges we drive or walk on? We ALL pay for them! Our
taxes (girls probably best know the Sales Tax) pay for our bridges, our roads, our sidewalks, etc.
Ask the girls if they’d like to pay a lot of their money for a bridge. (Probably not.) Then ask them if they want
the bridges they walk and drive on to be safe. (Probably yes.) This activity is all about striking that balance
between cost and functionality.
Activity One: Bridge Design (15-20 minutes)

In this activity, the girls will design the bridges that they will then build to compete in the next activity.
Get the full attention of the girls. Explain to them that they will be having a competition to see who can build
the strongest bridge. The purpose of this activity is to plan for the challenge, and make sure the girls put
adequate thought into their bridge designs.
1. Have them grab their journals and find a place to sit.
2. Tell them that the bridge must be freestanding, span a distance of 20 inches, and support a load of at
least 30 pennies.
3. Write the following on a large piece of paper or the whiteboard:
Straws – $10 each

Index Cards – $10 cents each
Paper clips – $2 each
String – $5 per foot
Tape – $2 per foot
4. Explain that since building materials cost money, you must also consider the cost of the bridge you will
build. They should spend 5 minutes making some plans and designs for their bridge. What type of
bridge will they build? What will make their bridge strong? Check in with each girl to offer suggestions
and listen to her ideas. The girls should record their ideas and drawings in their journals.
You can suggest a budget that you want them to stay within: $120-$200.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Activity Two: Bridge Competition (25-30 minutes)

In this activity, the girls compete to see who can build the least expensive bridge that meets structural
requirements. The girls may then also see whose bridge can hold the most weight.
Remind them of the rules: The bridge must be freestanding, span a distance of 20 inches, and support a load
of at least 30 pennies.
1. Have the girls spread out and bring materials to each work area.
2. Tell the girls they have 15-20 minutes to build.
3. After about 15-20 minutes the girls should stop and take account of the materials they used. How
much would this bridge cost? Did they do anything to keep the cost down? Help the girls with their
math.
4. Get the attention of the entire group and have everyone walk around and look at each bridge design.
What types of bridges do they see? You and the JM should measure to see that they it is 20 inches
long. Use the pennies to test the bridge, can it withstand weight? What is the most expensive bridge?
What is the least expensive bridge? What problems did people encounter?
Ask them to diagram their bridge. Ask them: can you think of ways now that would reduce the cost of your
bridge? How would you make your bridge better and more cost effective? Have the girls diagram their new
design or write about how they would not change their old design.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
Session Seven
Focus on: Geodesics

 Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Finishes! 5-10 minutes
 Activity Two: Geodesics 35-40 minutes
In this session, girls learn what makes geodesic By the end of this session, your girls will:
domes special and then work as a team to build 1. Build their own Geodesic Dome
one.
 Discuss with your mentoring team who will Geodesic Dome – a lightweight dome constructed
be responsible for what portions of the from interlocking polygons
session and prepare in advance of clubs.
 Roll as many newspapers as possible
beforehand. (See if SCFG staff/other
mentors can help do it for you in advance.)
o You need a total of 35 newspaper
tubes measuring 71 cm (28 inches)
and 30 tubes measuring 66 cm (26
inches).

Narrative
Activity Two: Geodesics
Newspaper – 65+ full sheets
(approximately 3 Sunday edition
newspapers)
Dowel (preferred) or Broom
handle
Masking tape
Marker
Stapler
Staples
Scissors
Measuring tape

Rescue By Design
4th Grade

What is a Geodesic Dome?
Geodesic domes are made of light-weight materials formed into interlocking geometric shapes – often
triangles. Because loads are spread over many triangles, these domes are especially strong. Often made of
aluminum bars and strong plastic, they’re also light compared to ordinary domes.
A famous geodesic dome is the Epcot Center Dome at Walt Disney World.
Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Finishes! (5-10 minutes)
Read part 6.
Activity Two: Geodesics (35-40 minutes)

In this activity, the girls work as a team to build a geodesic dome.
This activity was adapted from: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/educator/act_geodesic_ho.html
Like real engineers, the girls will need to rely on teamwork to get this project finished.
Why? Because the dome tends to flop over unless it’s supported, and stapling is a bit tricky unless you get
help holding all the newspaper tubes together.
Using a skinny piece of doweling makes thinner tubes that are stronger but harder to staple. Using a broom
handle makes slightly weaker tubes that are easier to staple.
1. Open up a sheet of newspaper. Roll the newspaper around the doweling diagonally from one corner to
the other. This is easiest if you roll it on the ground.
a. NOTE: The tubes are stronger the thicker the newspaper is. If you have enough newspaper,
consider rolling each tube with 2 sheets of newspaper for added strength. (Not always possible
due to time and materials constraints.)

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
2. Cut a piece of tape and use it to hold the roll together. Hold the newspaper tube in one hand and gently
pull out the dowel with your other hand. If you rolled the newspaper really tightly, you may need to
wiggle and twist the dowel a bit.
3. Cut the tube to length. [Note: The ends of the tube are not very stiff. To make a stronger tube, make the
tube the correct length by cutting some off both ends.] You need a total of 35 newspaper tubes
measuring 71 cm (28 inches) and 30 tubes measuring 66 cm (26 inches). So get busy rolling,
measuring and cutting. Keep the two lengths separated.
4. Use the marker pen to put a very visible mark in the middle of the longer newspaper tubes. Now you'll
be able to tell the two lengths apart easily. From now on, we will call the marked tubes ‘A’, the
unmarked tubes ‘B’.
5. Arrange 10 ‘A’s in a circle.
6. Overlap the ends of two tubes by 2 cm and staple together. Repeat this to form the base of the dome.
7. Lay alternating pairs of ‘A’s and ‘B’s radiating out from the central circle.
8. Pick up two of the ‘A’s and form a triangle with them and one of the ‘A’s from the circle. Staple the joints
firmly.
9. Do the same thing with the rest of the tube pairs. You should end up with a circle of triangles poking
into the air (don’t worry if they are not poking up yet). Tall triangles should alternate with short triangles.
10. Connect the triangles by stapling a row of ‘B’s across the top.

Rescue By Design
4th Grade
11. Every point where four ‘B’s come together, staple on another ‘B’ pointing straight up.
12. Brace the ‘B’s by using two ‘A’s, one attached to each neighboring joint.
13. Connect the tubes by stapling a row of ‘A’s across the top.
14. Finish the dome by adding the last five ‘B’s. These tubes come from the five joints and meet in the
middle.
Have your science club hang out in their new dome!
How much weight can the dome hold? Use a coat hanger or tie a plastic bag to the top to put objects to weigh
it down (just make sure you’ve played with it first).
Have them write about their favorite part of the dome-building. Ask them, how could you make the structure
stronger?
Some ideas if the girls are stuck:
 Taping at the joints. How can you tell which ones are the best ones to reinforce?
 Add bracing to the top.

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Rescue By Design

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 1

 Question of the Day 15 minutes

About this Session Before Clubs Begin

Also in this session, the girls will spend some time

Session Objectives Age Appropriate Definitions

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 2

Materials for This Session

Question of the Day (15 minutes)

Activity One: Setting the Tone (15 minutes)

3) Have each girl introduce herself.

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 3

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 4

Activity Two: Introducing Rosie and Nia (10 minutes)

Activity Three: Building a Structure (20-25 minutes)

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 5

Reflection (10 minutes)

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 6

 Question of the Day 15 minutes

About this Session Session Objectives

Before Clubs Begin: Age Appropriate Definitions

Materials for This Session

Activity 1: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 7

Question of the Day (15 minutes)

Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues (5-10 minutes)

Activity Two: Card Structures (30 minutes)

1. Split the girls up into pairs.

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 8

Reflection (20 minutes)

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 9

 Question of the Day 15 minutes

About This Session Session Objectives

In the second part of this session, the girls will test

Before Clubs Begin: Age Appropriate Definitions

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 10

Materials for This Session

Activity 1: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues

Question of the Day (15 minutes)

Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues (5-10 minutes)

Activity Two: Gumdrop Domes (20 minutes)

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 11

8. Push one toothpick into each of the top gumdrops.

9. Use one last gumdrop to connect these toothpicks at the top.

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 12

(Images courtesy of Zoom website http://pbskids.org/zoom/sci/gumdome.html )

Activity Three: Cup Challenge (10-15 minutes)

Activity Four: Balloon Challenge (If Time Permits)

Repeat the above challenge, but use balloons instead of cups!

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 13

Reflection (10-15 minutes)

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 14

 Question of the Day 15 minutes

About This Session Session Objectives

Before Clubs Begin Age Appropriate Definitions

Materials for This Session

Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 15

Question of the Day (15 minutes)

Activity One: Rosie and Nia’s Adventure Continues (5-10 minutes)

Activity Two: Testing the Domes (15-20 minutes)

©2016, Science Clubs for Girls Rescue by Design, v5 Page 16

Activity Three: Cantilevers (25-30 minutes)