Civil Engineering: Build Bridges and Towers

Kiwi Co has a Civil Engineer Starter Kit. (Good Will has one listed.). You definitely don’t need a kit!  Most bridge and tower challenges use paper, straws, or craft sticks.  You can use blocks with tiny kiddos.

Civil engineers build bridges and towers.  This British version, Civil Engineering Challenge, is written for Girl Guides.  The language in the text can be confusing.  Jelly is Jello.  What’s a chocolate twirl?  The material in the booklet is different from most bridge challenges I’ve seen which focus on the bridge or tower, not the soil or foundation.  Below are conventional bridge and tower challenges, lessons, and activities.  Add ‘build a bridge or tower’ to your summer can of ideas on craft sticks to do when the kiddos are bored.

1. Bridge Up! is a complete curriculum with different lessons for grades K-12.  The links all work.  There are novel activities, such as Making Concrete. (I noticed some of the links are Wikipedia, which some teachers and families find anathema. I don’t.  I know people who have strong opinions about Wikipedia.)

2.  The Center for Architecture has a number of Teacher Resource Packets; sometimes museums expect teachers to provide some basic instruction before the tour.  Look at Building Bridges; the flash cards are terrific!  

3.  Designing Bridges is a unit study before you try a Toothpick Bridge, Popsicle Bridge, Coffee Stirrers, or Straw Bridge.

4. Towers fit into Civil Engineering, too.  Nature Play Tours has natural tower ideas with pix.  Tall Tower Challenge uses straws.  Dot Tours uses index cards. Windy City Towers uses paper and has pictures—in case you’ve never done a paper tower challenge.  They used to be popular ice-breakers at conferences, along with Spaghetti Towers.  

5.  Try these 5 Engineering Challenges.