Scientific Method & Engineering Lab Exercise Activity – Spaghetti Bridges

Item description

Spaghetti Bridges is an engaging, powerful, and
simple scientific method AND engineering lab activity exercise. There
are two lab exercises in this one package. With easy-to-get, or on-hand,
supplies, your students can complete a science lab activity and then
roll that into an engineering/STEM exercise. Of course, you can also
break the sections apart and use them separately.

In part one, students will conduct a lab exercise based on the scientific method. Part two follows up by using the same materials to tackle an engineering design problem.

All materials are cheap and easy to get. Plus, it’s simple to set up and conduct. This simplicity makes it applicable to many age ranges.

The
first lab exercise (phase 1) is to determine the strength of different
lengths of spaghetti. This part is designed as a science experiment and
follows the scientific method.

The second lab activity (phase 2)
applies the background gained from phase 1 to an engineering mindset to
design, build, & test a stronger spaghetti bridge model.

Uses for this lab activity exercise:

⚗️ introduction or follow-up lab exercise for the scientific method and engineering design

⚗️  practicing the scientific method & engineering design processes

⚗️ supplement for a unit on forces, gravity, or tensile strength

⚗️ STEM challenge

⚗️ and more

This 14-page lab activity exercise PDF document includes:

✅ teacher notes, guides, directions, & suggestions

✅ list of materials

✅ Phase 1 student worksheets (2 pages) for the experiment portion

✅ Phase 1 student handout
includes: problem, area to write a hypothesis, materials, detailed
procedure, formatted data table, analysis & conclusion questions

✅ link to an animated Google slide presentation for a visual outline of phase 1

✅ Phase 2 student worksheets (3 pages) for the engineering design process

✅ Phase 2 student handout
(p.1-2) includes: objectives, rules, and focal questions related to the
pre- and post- design phases. Page 3 contains questions for carrying
out an engineering redesign process

✅ link to bridge-building game practice to help students model a design-build

What you’ll need for this lab activity exercise:

•   spaghetti
•   metric ruler
•   calculator
•   plastic cup
• string
• student sheets
•   books or movable desks
• white glue
•   pennies

The
Spaghetti Bridges Lab activity exercise is an easy setup for you. And,
your students benefit from increased engagement and valuable hands-on
learning.

Suitable for grades 5-8

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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