Today we began new STREAM academies! This week’s challenge was for groups to use pipe cleaners and Play-Doh to build a rainbow bridge that could hold a pot with the most pennies before the bridge collapsed or the pot fell off. Before starting, we discussed the important elements of bridge design and learned the words pier, deck, support, and arch. Students then discussed what the bridge should look like, how to build it, and made a quick sketch. After building the bridge, each group tested their design to see how many pennies their pot could hold. Once the pot fell off or the bridge collapsed, the groups discussed what went wrong and how to improve the design. They made adjustments and tested the bridge again. One team’s bridge was able to hold up a pot with 31 pennies!