STEAM Design Challenge:
CONNECTING PEOPLE
THE PROBLEM
A local community needs your help!
A bad storm has destroyed the only bridge into their town. The river is very deep so there is no hope of being able to swim, wade or drive across. The river is too wide for just one piece of material to reach across and you and the townspeople need to get many things safely across the river.
Armed only with your trusty Makedo tools and cardboard, can you design a structure to bridge the gap?
YOUR GOAL
Use Makedo tools and recycled cardboard to create a bridge big enough to span
a gap of 1 meter (3 feet) or more.
YOUR ROLE
You are the bridge engineer trying to get people safely across a dangerous bridge.
YOUR AUDIENCE
The bridge should be designed for cars, trucks buses and people.
THE SCENARIO
An isolated community is cut off from others and needs help.
THE PRODUCT
The product will be a prototype of a self-supporting bridge created using Makedo
tools and recycled cardboard.
HOW TO USE THIS PROJECT SHEET
As a class, inquire into the design problem. Use this sheet to guide students through the Makedo design thinking process to create your designs.
Work with students to inquire, generate ideas, create prototypes and test their designs.
Depending on your group’s age and ability use the “Go Further” section to extend the challenge.
