📄📄 Student Handout: Toothpick Bridge Engineering Challenge

Objective:

Design, build, and test a bridge using toothpicks and glue that can hold as much weight as possible while
demonstrating principles of geometry and engineering.

Materials Provided:

• 200 toothpicks

• Glue

• Ruler

• Graph paper

• Wax paper (for drying)

• Protractor (optional)

Bridge Requirements:

• Must span at least 30 cm (no part may touch the support table in between).

• Must be at least 10 cm wide (to support the load-testing bucket or weight stack).

• Must be built only from toothpicks and glue.

• Must be able to support a hanging bucket or stack weights for the weight challenge.

Design & Construction Timeline:

Day Task

1 Research bridge types, plan design, sketch blueprint

2–3 Construct bridge

4 Test bridges using weights

5 Analyze results, reflect, and present findings

• Bridges will be placed between two tables or platforms 25 cm apart.

• A hanging bucket or weights will be added until the bridge fails.

• The maximum weight held before breaking will be recorded.

• We will also weigh your bridge and calculate a strength-to-weight ratio:

Awards & Recognition:

2 - Needs
Criteria 5 - Excellent 4 - Proficient 3 - Satisfactory 1 - Unsatisfactory
Improvement
Detailed, clear, and
fully labeled Clear and mostly Incomplete or
Basic plan with
blueprint; labeled plan; good unclear plan;
some labels;
Design Plan demonstrates strong understanding of limited No plan or plan is
shows some
(10 pts) understanding of geometry and understanding of inaccurate/unclear
understanding of
geometry and engineering geometry or
design principles
engineering concepts engineering
principles
Mostly neat and
Bridge is carefully Adequate Bridge is
Construction stable Construction is
constructed, clean, construction but incomplete, very
Quality (20 construction with fragile, unstable,
precise joints, very some instability fragile, or
pts) minor or sloppy
stable or roughness structurally unsound
imperfections
Fully meets size
requirements (≥ 30 Meets most size
Meets some Fails to meet Does not meet
Bridge Meets cm span and ≥ 10 and material
specifications but several key specifications;
Specifications cm width) and specifications
with noticeable size/material major rule
(10 pts) materials rules with minor
deviations requirements violations
(only toothpicks deviations
and glue)
Supports weight in
top 20% of class; Supports weight
Weight Held Supports average Supports below Supports very little
demonstrates above class
(20 pts) weight average weight or no weight
excellent load- average
bearing capacity
Strength-to- Achieves strength- Above average Average Below average
Very low strength-
Weight Ratio to-weight ratio in strength-to-weight strength-to- strength-to-
to-weight ratio
(10 pts) top 20% of class ratio weight ratio weight ratio
All members highly
engaged; equal and Most members Some imbalance Uneven Minimal or no
Teamwork &
effective contribute fairly; in participation; participation; participation by
Participation
contribution; good moderate little some or all
(10 pts)
excellent collaboration collaboration collaboration members
collaboration
Insightful reflection
connecting bridge Clear reflection Basic reflection Minimal
Reflection / design to math and with some with limited reflection; No reflection or
Presentation engineering connections to connections; presentation lacks presentation; off-
(20 pts) concepts; well- concepts; good adequate clarity or topic or incomplete
organized presentation presentation relevance
presentation

Total Points: 100