Structure: Bridges

This topic develops children’s understanding of secure structures and introduces them to measuring, sawing and joining wood accurately. After learning about different types of bridges and also exploring how the strength of structures can be affected by the shapes used. Children create their own wooden bridge and test its durability.

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Choose your lesson

Lesson 1: Arch and beam bridges

Children develop their understanding of structures by investigating how different shapes affect their strength.

Lesson 2: Spaghetti truss bridges

Children create spaghetti truss bridges, learning how different shapes can improve the strength of a structure

Lesson 3: Building bridges

Children learn about material properties and why they are important. They learn to use tools including saws to build a wooden bridge.

Lesson 4: Finalising bridges

Pupils continue to build their truss bridges, reinforce and evaluate them.

Assess your pupils

Assessment quiz and Knowledge catcher. These can be used at the start of the unit to access where pupils are in their learning as well as the end of the unit to assess progress. Go to assessment resources

Knowledge organiser

Knowledge organiser: DT – Y5 Bridges

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