In a recent STEAM lesson at Fulmar Road Elementary School, teacher Mimi Murphy challenged her students to put their engineering skills to the test by designing and constructing “bone bridges.”
Working in small groups, students were tasked with building a bridge at least one inch off the ground using a limited set of materials including 30 Q-tips (which represented “bones”), five pipe cleaners, and unlimited popsicle sticks and clothespins. Each team also had to choose a special “superpower” for their bridge, focusing on height, weight or capacity, and discuss their design before construction began.
“In an earlier challenge, students worked independently to build miniature chairs,” Murphy explained. “This project took things a step further. They had to collaborate as a team, think critically about design and structure, and decide whether to prioritize height, weight or capacity, all while learning that communication and cooperation are key parts of engineering.”
Once the bridges were complete, students tested their creations by stacking candy pumpkins to measure each bridge’s strength and capacity. The “bone bridges” activity not only reinforced important engineering concepts such as design, balance and load bearing, but also gave students a fun way to connect creativity and science during the Halloween season.
