After reading, "You Wouldn't Want to Work on the Brooklyn Bridge", fifth graders at North Ridge Elementary put their skills to the test and constructed their own bridge.  

The purpose of the experiment to test the effect of force on an object. They discussed the challenges of undertaking such a project and looking at images of suspension bridges for inspiration.  

Then table groups of four to five students were given four pieces of rope, a piece of cardboard with holes punched in it, two chairs and several pieces of yarn in order to construct a suspension bridge. 

After about 30 minutes of construction, the bridges were tested by applying force (books) and seeing which bridge could hold the most books. The winning team was awarded ten bonus points to use on any assignment.  

The class discussions about what worked best and why and what didn't work and why was very valuable in their learning.  

“The students were able to use a hands-on activity to learn to work collaboratively and able to identify gravity as being the type of force that was being tested,” said Marla Dabbert, a fifth-grade teacher at North Ridge. “Using these types of activities keeps learners engaged and curious.”