Highpoint School students combined creativity with craftsmanship on Jan. 29 during the third annual Bridge Building Contest. At the culmination of a three-week mathematics lesson centered on creating equations and examining the strength of geometric shapes, middle and high schoolers buzzed with excitement about their chance to test the creations.
Students studied four types of bridges before choosing one design to recreate using glue and popsicle sticks. Campus leaders made slight adjustments to the judging process to more accurately assess each student’s bridge, while engineering professionals from the community served as guest judges. Nearly 50 bridges were evaluated for efficiency using a student-created formula that calculated the bridge’s weight, the weight it could withstand before collapsing and its creative design.
Many of the creations refused to collapse, with some withstanding up to 50 pounds of sand. Others faced structural challenges, however, the project was an opportunity for each student to learn life skills such as perseverance, time management and teamwork.
Gift cards ranging from $25-$75 were awarded to the first-, second- and third-place finishers of the competition.