Design and Technologies
Building & Construction
Students build earthquake-resistant towers, discover why arches beat flat spans, build and load-test their own pop-stick bridge, and compare two catapult designs before refining and testing their own.
Year 3–4
90 min
up to 30 students
$490 + GST
What students will do
Students compete in a cup tower challenge and earthquake test, then rebuild with paddle pop sticks, pegs and clips to investigate how reinforcement changes structural stability. They test a single flat card span against a model car's weight and watch it fail, then test single and double arch designs to discover how much more weight an arch can hold, before building their own bridge from pop sticks and binder clips to span a fixed gap between two supports and testing it under load. The session closes with a catapult design challenge: students build and compare two lever-based launchers, one pivoting on a dowel and one on a bottle cap, measure how far a paper ball travels with each, and discuss what design changes could improve the result.
Learning outcomes
- Apply an engineering design process to build and reinforce a tower, comparing how different materials and joining techniques affect structural performance
- Test a flat bridge span against a load and explain why it fails where an arch succeeds
- Design, build and test a pop-stick bridge, and explain how the shapes used affect its strength
- Build and compare two different catapult designs and measure how far each launches a projectile
- Propose evidence-based improvements to a catapult design based on test results
- Evaluate each design against agreed criteria for success, tower height and stability, bridge span, launch distance, using the results of testing
Curriculum links
- VC2TDE4C01Core
Explain how forces affect the function and performance of a product or system. View on VCAA ↗
- VC2TDE4C04Core
Explain how the properties of materials affect their use in designed solutions. View on VCAA ↗
- VC2TDE4D04Core
Evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions against criteria, including consideration of sustainability, to judge their suitability. View on VCAA ↗
- VC2TDE4D03Related
Select and safely use materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to make designed solutions. View on VCAA ↗
- VC2S4U10Related
Contact forces and non-contact forces, including friction, gravity, magnetism and static electricity, can be exerted between objects and affect their motion. View on VCAA ↗
Often booked alongside
Chemical Sciences
Christmas SciTech
Students grow a crystal Christmas tree, mould a bouncy snowball, unmask mystery liquids with a colour-change indicator, make instant snow, launch Santa's sleigh and build a snowball catapult to take home.
Physical Sciences
Force & Motion
Students measure forces with a spring balance, test friction across surfaces, feel inertia first-hand, launch reaction rockets, and explore magnetism and static electricity.
Physical Sciences
Heat & Energy
Students investigate how heat moves by observing particle movement, comparing conduction through plastic and metal using an infrared thermometer, and testing how insulators slow heat transfer.
Bring Building & Construction to your school
Tell us your year levels and preferred dates. We'll confirm availability and bring everything with us.
Limited dates each term — one facilitator, one school per day.