Engineering a bridge!

The main goal of the specific demonstrator is to incorporate a series of activities following the basic principles of engineering «inquiry», «imagine», «draw», «create», «improve» in order to engage primary students in an authentic scientific discovery process while dealing with the topic of bridges. This teaching and learning cycle enhances students in applying inquiry, creative approaches and develop competences and skills such as problem solving and critical thinking. Moreover, to address the set challenges students will have to test alternative solutions and engage in experimentation and most of all they will have to communicate, explain and account for their creations as well as test and evaluate them. Their engagement in the challenges will not be based on a true/false assessment but it will require constant application of concrete knowledge deriving from maths, geometry, etc. and their continuous reflection on relevant decisions.
The demonstrator’s main aim is to give the opportunity to primary school students to learn about basic principles of engineering and enable them to realize the importance of engineering and the relevant interconnecting sciences in our life. The key principles of engineering will be presented to students through challenging and inquiry–based learning activities, such as creative experimentations, artifacts and drawings, aiming to raise students’ interest in the process of identifying how geometry affects engineering designs and function and strengthen their inquiry skills in pursuing knowledge in an autonomous way beyond the school curriculum.  The ‘Engineering a bridge’ demonstrator has been applied to Arsakeio Primary School of Patra (private school), and specifically to 4th grade students, between 9 and 10 years old. The demonstrator was realized within 2 months-a one hour extra-curriculum lesson each week- and resulted with students’ artistic exhibition of their own designs/models.