Lesson Plan
STEAM Fusion Plan
Students will collaborate to design, build, and test a simple bridge model applying engineering principles, art aesthetics, and physics concepts, then reflect on their process.
This lesson fosters cross-disciplinary problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork, helping students see real-world connections between engineering, art, and physics while developing critical thinking and communication skills.
Audience
5th Grade Class
Time
50 minutes
Approach
Hands-on, collaborative engineering through art & physics concepts.
Materials
- Design Thinking Slides, - Bridge-Build Challenge, - Prototype Reflection, - Collaborative Creation Rubric, - Craft Sticks, - Glue, - String, - Scissors, and - Weights or Small Objects
Prep
Prepare Materials & Review Slides
10 minutes
- Print and organize the Bridge-Build Challenge handouts for each group
- Review the Design Thinking Slides and queue up for presentation
- Print copies of the Prototype Reflection journal pages
- Prepare a sample bridge model to demonstrate
- Lay out craft sticks, glue, string, scissors, and weights on a central materials station
Step 1
Introduction & Goal Setting
10 minutes
- Display the Design Thinking Slides and introduce the bridge-building challenge
- Explain criteria and success metrics using the Collaborative Creation Rubric
- Discuss real-world bridge examples and related physics concepts (tension, compression)
- Check for understanding and answer student questions
- Differentiation: Provide sentence starters for EL students to articulate their ideas
Step 2
Brainstorm & Plan
10 minutes
- Divide students into small teams and distribute the Bridge-Build Challenge handout
- Teams sketch their bridge design on paper, labeling materials and structure
- Refer to the Collaborative Creation Rubric to guide planning
- Teacher circulates to prompt deeper thinking and support struggling learners
- Differentiation: Offer graphic organizers for students needing visual planning aids
Step 3
Construction Phase
15 minutes
- Teams build their bridge using craft sticks, glue, and string according to their plan
- Encourage students to test small sections as they go to ensure stability
- Monitor safety when using scissors and glue
- Circulate to ask guiding questions and offer extension challenges (e.g., using fewer sticks)
- Differentiation: Pair students strategically, pairing stronger builders with those needing more support
Step 4
Testing & Reflection
10 minutes
- Test each bridge by gradually adding weights until it fails
- Have teams record results and observations in the Prototype Reflection
- Prompt reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and how design changes could improve performance
- Differentiation: Provide a checklist for students who need more structure in reflection
Step 5
Share & Debrief
5 minutes
- Each team briefly presents their bridge, sharing key design choices and test results
- Facilitate a whole-class discussion on cross-disciplinary insights: art elements, engineering trade-offs, physics principles
- Highlight exemplary work and strategies from the Collaborative Creation Rubric
- Collect reflections and provide feedback aligned with rubric criteria
- Differentiation: Allow verbal or visual presentations based on student strengths
Slide Deck
STEAM Fusion: Bridge-Building Challenge
• Collaborate in teams of 3–4
• Apply design thinking to solve a real-world problem
• Integrate engineering, art, and physics concepts
• Have fun and be creative!
Welcome students! Today we’re kicking off our STEAM Fusion Bridge-Building Challenge. Introduce yourself, highlight the goal: design, build, and test a small bridge using craft sticks, glue, and string. Emphasize cross-disciplinary skills in engineering, art, and physics.
Design Thinking Process
- Empathize: Understand needs and constraints
- Define: Clarify the problem—support weight safely
- Ideate: Brainstorm creative bridge designs
- Prototype: Build a small-scale model
- Test & Reflect: Evaluate, iterate, and improve
Walk through each design thinking step. Ask students to share examples of how they might empathize with users or define a problem in bridge building.
Challenge Overview
• Build a bridge that spans 20 cm
• Hold at least 200 g of weight
• Incorporate an artistic design element
• Use only craft sticks, glue, and string
• Follow safety guidelines at all times
Distribute the Bridge-Build Challenge handout now. Summarize requirements: minimum span, weight capacity, and artistic elements. Clarify any questions.
Key Physics Concepts
• Tension: Forces that pull materials apart
• Compression: Forces that push materials together
• Successful bridges balance tension and compression in different members
Explain tension and compression with simple anecdotes: tension as pulling a rope, compression as squishing a marshmallow. Show quick sketches if you have a document camera.
Success Criteria
Refer to the Collaborative Creation Rubric:
• Structural Strength
• Aesthetic Creativity
• Teamwork & Communication
• Thoughtful Reflection
Pull up the rubric and describe each criterion. Encourage students to aim high in all categories: strength, creativity, collaboration, and reflection.
Materials & Safety
• Craft Sticks, Glue, String, Scissors, Weights
• Prototype Reflection journals ready
• Maintain a tidy workspace
• Use glue sparingly—watch your fingers
• Ask for help with cutting or heavy weights
Quickly review the central materials station. Remind students to handle scissors and glue safely and clean up as they go.
Next Steps: Brainstorm & Plan
- Form teams and sketch your bridge
- Label materials and structural features
- Consult the rubric to guide your design
- Prepare to move into the construction phase
Transition into the Brainstorm & Plan phase. Remind teams to use graphic organizers or sentence starters if needed. Set a 10-minute timer.
Activity
Bridge-Build Challenge
Objective:
You and your team will design and build a model bridge using craft sticks, glue, and string. Your bridge must:
- Span at least 20 cm
- Support at least 200 g of weight
- Include an artistic design element
Materials (per team):
- Craft sticks (approx. 50–70)
- Glue
- String
- Pencil and ruler
- This handout (for planning & reflection)
Steps & Planning
-
Empathize & Define (5 min)
• Discuss: Who will use your bridge and why?
• List constraints (span length, weight, materials). -
Ideate (10 min)
• Brainstorm at least two bridge concepts (e.g., beam, arch, truss).
• Sketch each idea below, labeling key parts and materials.Sketch Idea 1
_______________________________________________
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| |Labels:
Sketch Idea 2
_______________________________________________
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| |Labels:
- Main supports: ________________________
- Tension members: _____________________
- Compression members: ________________
- Main supports: ________________________
- Tension members: _____________________
- Compression members: ________________
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Prototype & Build (15 min)
• Choose your strongest sketch and build the bridge.
• Test stability by adding small weights as you go. -
Test & Record (10 min)
• Place weights gradually until the bridge fails.
• Record maximum weight held: ________ g -
Reflect & Improve (10 min)
• What worked well?
• What would you change next time?
• How did art and physics principles influence your design?
Guiding Questions
- How does your design manage tension forces?
- How does it manage compression forces?
- What artistic choice did you make to enhance your bridge?
- How did your team communicate and solve problems together?
Team Roles (Optional)
Assign or rotate roles so everyone contributes:
- Designer: Sketches, labels, and refines ideas.
- Builder: Assembles materials and constructs the bridge.
- Tester: Adds weights, records data, notes failures.
- Presenter: Shares results and reflections with the class.
Good luck and have fun innovating your bridge!
Journal
Prototype Reflection Journal
Use this journal to record your observations, insights, and ideas after testing your bridge prototype. Reflect thoughtfully and refer to the Collaborative Creation Rubric and your original plan in the Bridge-Build Challenge as you write.
1. Test Results & Observations
Maximum weight held (g): ____________
Describe what happened as you added weight. Where did you notice tension or compression forces at work? What part of the bridge failed first and why?
2. Strengths & Successes
What aspects of your design worked especially well? How did your use of art (shape, pattern, color) enhance the bridge’s structural performance?
3. Challenges & Areas to Improve
Identify the biggest challenge you encountered during testing. What would you change in your design or building process to address that challenge?
4. Rubric Self-Assessment
Using the criteria in the Collaborative Creation Rubric, rate your team on each category (Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Needs Improvement) and explain your choice:
- Structural Strength: ____________
Explanation: - Aesthetic Creativity: ____________
Explanation: - Teamwork & Communication: ____________
Explanation: - Thoughtful Reflection: ____________
Explanation:
5. Teamwork Reflection
How did your team communicate when unexpected problems arose? Describe one moment when collaboration led to a breakthrough.
6. Connecting STEAM Ideas
Explain how engineering, art, and physics came together in your bridge design. Which physics principle (tension or compression) was most important, and how did your artistic choices support it?
7. Next Steps & New Questions
If you had more time or materials, what would you try next? What new questions do you have about bridge design or the forces at work?
Rubric
Collaborative Creation Rubric
Use this rubric to evaluate your team’s bridge project. For each criterion, circle or highlight the descriptor that best matches your group’s work.
| Criterion | Excellent (4) | Good (3) | Satisfactory (2) | Needs Improvement (1) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Strength | • Exceeds weight requirement with minimal deflection • Bridge remains stable under load and demonstrates optimal distribution of tension & compression • Clear evidence of strong joints and thoughtful reinforcement | • Meets weight requirement with slight deflection • Structure is generally stable, with minor adjustments needed • Good use of tension & compression principles | • Close to meeting weight requirement or holds required weight briefly • Noticeable wobble or small failures under load • Basic understanding of forces | • Fails well below weight requirement • Collapses or deforms quickly under minimal load • Little or no demonstration of tension/compression concepts |
| Aesthetic Creativity | • Artistic elements are original and seamlessly integrated with structural design • Color, pattern, or form enhance both function and visual appeal | • Creative decorative choices that complement the bridge form • Some connection between artistic design and structural elements | • Simple decoration or color added • Minimal integration of art with structure | • Little or no decorative effort • Artistic choices feel random or detract from structural clarity |
| Teamwork & Communication | • All members contribute equally and take on roles effectively • Communication is clear, respectful, and solutions-focused • Conflicts (if any) are resolved constructively | • Most members participate actively • Communication is generally effective with minor lapses • Roles are defined and followed | • Participation is uneven; a few members do most of the work • Occasional miscommunication or delays • Roles may be unclear or overlap | • One or two members dominate while others are disengaged • Poor or no communication leads to confusion • Little to no role structure |
| Thoughtful Reflection | • Reflection is deep and insightful, linking test results to specific design choices • Proposes detailed, feasible improvements • Demonstrates clear understanding of STEAM connections | • Reflection covers major successes and challenges with some specifics • Suggests plausible improvements • Shows awareness of how art, engineering, and physics relate | • Reflection touches on basic outcomes (what worked/failed) • Offers general ideas for improvement • Limited discussion of STEAM integration | • Reflection is incomplete or superficial • Lacks clear connections between outcomes and design • No meaningful suggestions for improvement |
Scoring Scale: 4 = Excellent | 3 = Good | 2 = Satisfactory | 1 = Needs Improvement
Refer back to this Collaborative Creation Rubric throughout your project to guide design decisions and self-assessment.