Design & Technologies
Building & Construction
Young engineers build earthquake-tested cup towers and arch bridges, discovering which materials and joining techniques create stronger structures, then construct and fire a simple catapult.
Foundation–2
90 min
up to 30 students
$490 + GST
What students will do
Students begin with a cup tower challenge, building the tallest tower they can from 40 cups, before the facilitator shakes the tables in an earthquake test to see which designs hold up. They then reinforce a second tower using paddle pop sticks, pegs and clips, and test it in a second earthquake round. Students experiment with single and double arch shapes for a bridge challenge to discover which form spans a gap more effectively, before the session closes with each student building a small catapult from a spoon, dowel, paddle pop stick and blu-tack, launching a paper ball to see whose goes furthest.
Curriculum outcomes
Victorian Curriculum v2.0 content descriptions addressed in this session.
Explore the properties of different construction materials and describe how shape and joining technique affect the strength and stability of a structure
Design and build towers and bridges to meet a simple brief, and test them under load including a simulated earthquake
Build a simple catapult and describe how a stored push force is released to move an object
Often booked alongside
Physical Sciences
How Objects Move
Students roll differently shaped objects, race a balloon-powered car, drop parachutes, launch foam pump rockets, and test what sinks or floats, exploring how pushes and pulls drive every outcome.
Physical Sciences
Light & Sound
Students sort materials as transparent, translucent or opaque, feel vibrations with tuning forks, build a box guitar to explore pitch, and create shadows with a torch.
Chemical Sciences
Materials & Mixing
Students identify mystery liquids, trigger a chemical reaction, transform a powder into instant snow, use a colour-change indicator, and separate iron filings from sand with a magnet.
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.