Full-Size Bridges
The full-size bridges are the culmination of the project. The students, in my experience, had a blast constructing and learning about trusses and mini-bridges, but it was the full-size bridges that had nearly every student working from bell to bell (and beyond) on a bridge of their own. Here you'll find the official rules that I used (very similar the original rules used through many contests at Hillsboro High School) as well as the other handouts I created.
- Rules: Here is the two-page rule sheet that I created (pdf).
- Schematic: Here is the blueprint sheet. This is an 11x17 document that provides space for the students to create a blueprint of their bridge. If you have access to an 11x17 printer, it should print accurate 2x2cm boxes. If you must print to a 8.5x11 sheet of paper and then use a copier to convert to 11x17, I had success using a copier to enlarge the printed 8.5x11 copy at 169% to create the appropriate 11x17 page.
And, of course, the requisite pictures. I have not included students in the pictures due to privacy concerns. The final three pictures may be clicked to reveal larger images.
