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Subtopic: Tension and Compression

Change grade range

Resource	Grade Level	Media Type
Arch Bridge This video segment adapted from Building Big illustrates the strength of the arch in bridge design and construction.	3-12	QuickTime Video
The Bridge Challenge In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, use your knowledge of bridge design to match the right bridge to the right location in a fictitious city.	3-12	HTML Interactive
Build a Bridge Survey potential bridge sites, research bridge design, and select the right bridge for the right location in this interactive activity from the NOVA Web site.	6-12	Shockwave Interactive
Building the Channel Tunnel How do you build a tunnel 32 miles long -- under water? This video segment adapted from Building Big, follows the construction of the Channel Tunnel (nicknamed "Chunnel"), the engineering wonder that connects England to France.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Citigroup Skyscraper Design Problem This video segment adapted from Building Big looks at the challenges faced by structural engineer William LeMessurier in designing a new skyscraper and how he very closely averted disaster.	6-12	QuickTime Video
Clifton Suspension Bridge This video segment from Building Big illustrates the basic design principles of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Columns: Experimenting with Balloons Watch the ZOOM cast find out how many balloons filled with air and then with water are required to support the weight of a cast member.	3-8	QuickTime Video
Columns: Experimenting with Paper Cups In this video segment from ZOOM, the cast experiments to see if a bunch of paper cups covered by a piece of cardboard can support the weight of a cast member.	3-8	QuickTime Video
Columns: Finding the Strongest Shape In this video segment, members of the ZOOM cast experiment by bending and folding sheets of paper into various shapes to see which shape will support the weight of a heavy book.	K-8	QuickTime Video
Columns: Hillary's Neighborhood In this video segment from ZOOM, Hillary, from Randolph, MA, takes us on a tour of the columns in her neighborhood.	K-8	QuickTime Video
The Dam Challenge In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, investigate dams in distress and decide if they should be repaired, removed, or left alone.	3-12	HTML Interactive
Demolition Woman Find out how controlled explosions are used to demolish multi-story buildings in this interview from the NOVA Web site.	6-12	HTML Document
Design and Construct a Road Sign Support Students use simple materials to design, build, and test a model of a free-standing structure used to support overhead road signs.	6-12	Lesson Plan
Designing a Paper Bridge In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members make a bridge from a single piece of paper. Will it be strong enough to hold a hundred pennies?	3-8	QuickTime Video
Designing the Citigroup Skyscraper This video segment adapted from Thinking Big, Building Small shows how a structural engineer overcame the challenge of building New York's Citigroup skyscraper over a church.	3-8	QuickTime Video
Design Squad: Suspension Bridge In this video segment adapted from Design Squad—a PBS TV series featuring high school contestants tackling engineering challenges—students employ the concepts of tension and compression to build a suspension bridge without the aid of power tools.	5-12	QuickTime Video
Design Squad: Truss Bridge In this video segment adapted from Design Squad—a PBS TV series featuring high school contestants tackling engineering challenges—students employ the concepts of tension and compression as they build a truss bridge without the aid of power tools.	5-12	QuickTime Video
The Dome Challenge In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, think like an engineer and use your knowledge of dome design to match the right type of dome to the right location in a fictitious city.	3-12	HTML Interactive
Firth of Forth Cantilever Bridge This video segment from Building Big: "Bridges" demonstrates the basic design of a cantilever bridge by looking at Scotland's Firth of Forth Railway Bridge.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Forces Lab In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, select one of the actions of squeezing, stretching, bending, sliding, or twisting to explore the forces of compression, tension, shear, and torsion.	3-8	Flash Interactive
Geodesic Dome This video segment adapted from Building Big highlights the evolution of the geodesic dome, designed by legendary architect and inventor, Buckminster Fuller.	6-12	QuickTime Video
Hoover Dam This video segment from Building Big: "Dams," demonstrates the basic principals at work in the Hoover Dam, a concrete gravity dam that also makes use of the properties of the arch.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Investigating a Suspension Bridge In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast builds a suspension bridge from a couple of chairs, some cardboard, and rope.	3-8	QuickTime Video
It's Cool to Be a Civil Engineer Who decides how massive structures like skyscrapers are made? This video segment adapted from Thinking Big, Building Small showcases the job of a civil engineer.	3-8	QuickTime Video
Kid Designer: A Comfortable Cardboard Chair Follow along in this video segment from ZOOM as 13-year-old Nick explains how he came up with a design, tested materials, and constructed his own cardboard chair.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Loads Lab This interactive activity from the Building Big Web site examines different types of loads and how structures might be reinforced to withstand them.	3-8	Flash Interactive
Masses and Springs In this interactive simulation adapted from the University of Colorado's Physics Education Technology project, hang various masses from different springs and see the kinetic, potential, and thermal energy of each spring system. You can even slow time or move your demonstration to another planet.	6-12	Flash Interactive
Materials Lab This interactive activity from the Building Big Web site explores the properties of different types of building materials.	3-12	Flash Interactive
Pantheon Dome This video segment adapted from Building Big: "Domes" illustrates how the design of the Pantheon Dome emerged out of another form, the arch.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Shapes Lab This interactive activity from the Building Big Web site compares the strengths of the rectangle, triangle, and arch.	3-8	Flash Interactive
Shapes That Make Structures Strong Students explore the various shapes engineers choose to make structures strong -- in particular, triangles, arches, and domes.	6-8	Lesson Plan
The Skyscraper Challenge In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, investigate hypothetical structural emergencies and figure out how to repair them.	3-12	HTML Interactive
Smart Bridges In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about engineering innovations that could help detect a bridge's structural weaknesses before they become dangerous.	6-12	QuickTime Video
Tension and Compression Students experience the forces of tension and compression by manipulating objects that are strong in each but not in both and then take what they have learned and apply it to the construction of various structures.	6-12	Lesson Plan
Train Truss Animation This animated video segment from Building Big: "Bridges" demonstrates how a truss bridge is designed to balance the weight of a train as it travels over it.	3-12	QuickTime Video
Triangles and Arches in Architecture This collection of still images features two of the most important shapes in architecture: the triangle and the arch.	K-8	Flash Image
Triangles: Designing a Newspaper Chair Watch the ZOOM cast build a chair out of newspaper by making good use of the strength of triangles.	3-8	QuickTime Video
Triangles: Designing a Straw Bridge In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast tries to design and build a bridge made out of drinking straws that will support the weight of 200 pennies.	3-8	QuickTime Video
Triangles: Testing the Strength of a Gumdrop Dome Can a dome made of gumdrops and toothpicks support the weight of a stack of books? To find out, watch this video segment adapted from ZOOM.	3-8	QuickTime Video
The Tunnel Challenge This interactive activity, from the Building Big Web site, explores tunneling and the tools and methods used to do the job.	3-12	HTML Interactive