LibGuides: STEM Kits: NASA@ My Library: Build A Bridge

NASA@ My Library: Build A Bridge

"Build a Bridge" is a NASA@ My Library kit, which includes the Build a Straw Bridge and Touchdown activities. In these engineering design challenges, students will use what they know and can investigate about gravity, motion, and forces to design and build a shock-absorbing system that will protect two “astronauts” when they land and a one-foot long bridge.

Key Concepts:

Learn about kinetic energy, potential energy, acceleration due to gravity, and air resistance
Learn about the engineering design process
Learn about compression, span, tension, and truss
Learn about different types of bridges

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STEM Kit Information

Kit FAQ
Information about STEM kit circulation, reservations and holds, shipping, etc.

More About This Kit!

15 pieces of cardboard
30 paper cups
45 index cards
30 cotton balls
45 rubber bands
420 straws
200 "crystals"

Please only use the kit components you need and return the rest to be used by other libraries. The cardboard, cups, index cards, cotton balls, rubber bands, and straws are not expected to be returned.

How Tall? by Mark Weakland; Igor Sinkovec (Illustrator); Terry Flaherty (Consultant Editor)
ISBN: 9781404883239
Publication Date: 2013-07-01
Margaret and the Moon by Dean Robbins; Lucy Knisley (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780399551871
Publication Date: 2017-05-16

Funding Notice

Build a Straw Bridge
Using tape and no more than 20 straws, participants design and build a bridge that can span a gap of about 1 foot and support as many “crystals” as possible.
Touchdown
In this engineering design challenge, students will use what they know and can investigate about gravity, motion, and forces to design and build a shock-absorbing system that will protect two "astronauts" when they land.

NASA@ My Library
NASA Science Mission Directorate education objectives support the Nation's education efforts to improve science literacy and to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. One institution that can accomplish both of these outcomes, for people of all ages and in every region of the country, is our public library system the central focus of the NASA@ My Library project.
STEM Clearinghouse
In the STEM Activity Clearinghouse, librarians and library staff can find high quality, vetted STEM activities that are appropriate for library use.
You can search by audience, content level, and difficulty, among others. You can also browse collections that we've curated just for you! Almost all the activities in the Clearinghouse have pictures or videos of real libraries doing these activities. Activities developed outside the STAR_Net Project will include tips and tricks for implementing in your library, and will link you back to the original source content so you can explore more.