(Updated November 2016)
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
1
2
Section I – Introduction & Experiential Model
Pages
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 3
2. Experiential Learning .............................................................................................................. 6
3. Competition Outcomes ........................................................................................................... 7
Section II – Rules & Evaluation
4. Competition Eligibility .......................................................................................................... 10
5. Rules & Evaluation ………… ............................... …………………………………………11
6. Off-site Authentic Bridge (Set up Day 1, judged Day 2)....................................................... 11
7. The Oral Presentation (Presentations & judging Day 2)........................................................ 12
8. The Written Report (Submitted Day 1, judged Day 2) .......................................................... 13
9. Bridge Construction Proposal………………………………………………………………..15
10. Rules & Evaluation - Load-Bearing Bridge – (Built on Day 1; Load Bearing Day 2 .......... 16
Section III – Suggested Team Activities
11. Suggested Activities............................................................................................................... 20
References ................................................................................................................................... 25
Biographical Sketches of Personnel ............................................................................................. 26
Appendices
Appendix A: Scholarship Details and Awards: Current & Past ................................................. 29
Appendix B: Scoring Details ....................................................................................................... 36
Appendix C: Curriculum Activities .......................................................................................................37
1. Leadership Activities .............................................................................................................. 40
2. Mathematics Activities ........................................................................................................... 44
1
3. Social Studies Activities ......................................................................................................... 50
4. Writing & Research Activities ............................................................................................... 56
Appendix D: Evaluation Criteria (Authentic, Oral, Written)…………………………………….61
Appendix E: Authentic Bridge Information Card ....................................................................... 65
Appendix F: Tentative Agenda…………………………………….……………………………67
Appendix G: Travel and Parking Directions with Motel Information ........ ……………………69
Acknowledgements
Content Writers ..................................... Dr. Sandra Balkema, College of Arts & Sciences, Ferris
................................. Randy Maddock, Educational Counselor, Oakland Schools
...................................... Scott Wurdinger, Mankato State University, Minnesota
........................................................... John Vermeer, College of Business, Ferris
Graphical Design ...................................................... Al Williams, Senior Graphic Designer, Ferris
Production Editor ........................................................ Karen Gross, Spaghetti Bridge Coor., Ferris
Production Layout ........................ Ruth Ridderman, University Advancement & Marketing, Ferris
Web site creation .............................. Richard Pippo, University Advancement & Marketing, Ferris
Web site redesign .....................Shohreh Ferdowski, University Advancement & Marketing, Ferris
2
Section I
Introduction & Experiential Model
3
4
THE FSU SPAGHETTI BRIDGE COMPETITION
The Spaghetti Bridge Competition, designed for grades 9-12, is an enjoyable, challenging, and
problem-solving opportunity for teams. The event consists of an authentic bridge display, an oral
presentation, a written report, and a load-bearing competition. The four-part event fosters team
work, problem solving, and hands-on learning connected to many standards in the Michigan
Curriculum Framework (see pages 6-7).
Each year scholarships are given to winning teams:
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Four $2,000 scholarships to first place overall winners
Four $1,000 scholarships to second place overall winners
Four $500 scholarships to third place overall winners
One free Ferris class for primary coach of each winning overall team
Classroom award money is also given to winners in each category of the competition:


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

$300 for first place winners
$200 for second place winners
$100 for third place winners
$75 for fourth place winners
$50 for fifth place winners
$100 for the most promising rookie team
Note: A rookie team is defined as a school that has never competed at the
competition OR a school that has not attended the competition in 4 or more
years. Points are combined from all 4 events to calculate winning team.
The competition requires no entry fee. It also includes dinner on Day 1, breakfast and
lunch on Day 2, and assorted memorabilia—all free of charge!
In addition, students will have a chance visit campus sites.
Schedule
The competition has two phases. See the tentative agenda in Appendix G for more details.
Day 1 includes setting up authentic bridges and constructing load-bearing bridges.
Day 2 involves judging of written reports, authentic bridges, and testing of each team's
load-bearing bridge. This phase is the timed, back-to-back, load-bearing competition.
Scoring
Each segment of the competition is scored using a point system. Scores from all four segments
are carried forward over the two-day competition to calculate overall winners.
5
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Teaching language arts, math, science, and social science requires innovative techniques that
encourage students to learn. The Ferris State University Spaghetti Bridge Competition is
designed to allow students in a team environment to learn through direct experience.
This process, also known as experiential learning, places the student at the heart of the learning
process and engages both the intellectual and affective domains.
The proactive experiential learning model (Figure 1) provides a methodology to guide students
through the problem solving process.
First, students will be faced with a problem: how to construct two different bridges, one
for authenticity and the other to support the most amount of weight possible.
Then, students will research and begin to generate theories and plans on how to build
their bridges, as well as write reports and make presentations about their authentic
bridge.
Next, students will apply the techniques. After several trial and error attempts, they will
find solutions allowing them to complete their bridges to the best of their abilities.
This methodology requires interplay between theory and application because
students may have to go back and forth between theory and application several
times before completing the projects.
On an affective level, students become more invested in their work and begin to take ownership
of the project. They will also learn more about themselves and how to cooperate with group
members with whom they may have conflicting ideas.
High performance teams are those that are able to include effective social skills. As they work
through the problem solving process they should become a more cohesive team.
The anticipated end result is a well-rounded learning environment, which produces creativity,
critical thinking, and group cohesiveness.
Problem
Theory
Application
Figure 1: Proactive experiential learning model
6
Solution
COMPETITION OUTCOMES
Students will:
•
Communicate verbally and in writing to evoke clear understanding.
•
Seek excellence in individual and group activities.
•
Synthesize information into a written presentation.
•
Write clearly and use an appropriate format and mechanics for a specific purpose and
for various audiences.
•
Demonstrate punctuation, grammar, spelling, and thesis selection.
•
Demonstrate verbal presentation skills.
•
Demonstrate listening skills.
•
Act in a responsible manner without supervision.
•
Construct visual aids for improved communication of ideas.
•
Locate and manage resources for problem solving.
•
Act cooperatively as a member of a team.
•
Read for information and application.
•
Explain how building a bridge can positively or negatively affect the surrounding
environment.
•
Construct attractive scale drawings and accurate scale models.
•
Calculate and measure for information and application.
•
Use the Internet and other resources to gather information.
•
Seek ways to creatively respond to competition requirements.
7
8
Section II
Rules & Evaluations
9
COMPETITION ELIGIBILITY
The opportunity to compete is open to all 9-12th graders from public and private high schools,
career centers, and math/science centers. --Each high school, career center, and math/science
center may register up to two teams.
All teams and coaches must remain at the FSU competition location during all portions of
Friday’s and Saturday’s events, except in case of medical or family emergency.
TEAM MEMBERS
During the two day completion at Ferris State University
 Each team must be composed of four full-time high school students.
 A maximum of two seniors per team is allowed.
 One additional student per team may observe, but not compete, during the two-day event
to gain perspective for next year’s competition.
 The observing student can be a freshman, sophomore, or junior.
(New starting in fall 2016) For pre-competition/at school activities including: building the
authentic bridge, researching/writing the report, and developing the oral presentation
 Up to eight (8) full-time high school students may participate (again, only four students
may compete in the two day competition on FSU’s campus)
NOTE:
Alternate team members may replace original participants, with approval of the Coordination.
Requests must be sent via email to Karen Gross at: [email protected].
Three members of a four-person team would be allowed to participate in the case of an
emergency. The competition leadership should be notified of the emergency as soon as possible.
COACHES (changed as of fall 2016)
A coach shall be defined as: an administrator, teacher, counselor, athletic coach, or
paraprofessional currently employed by the team’s school district.
Also eligible with written permission of the school’s principal (submitted to the Spaghetti
Bridge Coor. at time of team registration) Parents, friends, community members, or school
employees not listed above.
 Each team must be supervised by at least one coach, but may have up to two coaches.
 At least one coach must accompany his/her teams(s) to the event and be present at all
times during the two-day competition.
NOTE:
If a team arrives at the competition without its official coach, the team may compete but will not
be awarded points for any events nor be considered for classroom awards or individual
scholarships.
10
RULES & EVALUATION:
A. OFF-SITE, AUTHENTIC BRIDGE (Set up on Day 1; Judging on Day 2)
Rules
1. The bridge must be built to scale and modeled after an existing bridge or one that
once existed. The scale must be reported on the 5x7 card (see #5).
2. Bridge materials are limited to all forms of pasta, sewing thread, and all types of
glue. The bridge must not be painted. Pasta materials must be visible to judges.
3. The platform on which the bridge is built must be made of a solid material (e.g.
wood, plexiglas) that is a maximum of 24 inches long by 10 inches wide. **The
bridge must also be no longer than 24 inches.
4. A photo or painting replication of the bridge must be displayed (8 1/2”x 11”
minimum size).
5. A 5x7 information card must be displayed; see Appendix E for card. The card must
contain the following information: bridge name, location, length, year constructed,
construction type, scale (i.e. one inch = x feet or yards), two environmental obstacles
that would need to be addressed if the bridge were built in 2004, and two historical
facts about the bridge (i.e. struck by a ship in 1987 with 4 vehicles plunging to the
river floor and 6 people losing their lives, cost $4.3M and took 11 years to build).
6. The bridge platform may contain representative, to scale scenery from non-spaghetti
material. This material may be painted or in true colors. However, teams are
reminded that the pasta bridge itself is the essential part.
7. Each team will have a display location for its bridge, except when it is removed for
judging and presenting. In addition to displaying the 5x7 card in #5 above, Ferris will
display a team name next to each authentic bridge.
8. In the case of schools with two competing teams, each team must create its own
unique authentic bridge.
9. Schools with competing teams in consecutive years may not utilize the same
authentic bridge design as was used in the previous years.
10. Teams may display bridge segments in place of the full bridge in order to meet scale
and size requirements.
11. In order to provide consistent and unbiased judging, schools are asked to keep
their team names devoid of references to school or mascot name. Teams are also
asked to temporarily remove articles of clothing and nametags identifying
school and/or mascot during this judging portion of the competition.
Evaluation
1. Meets all of the above rules
2. Built to scale
3. Authenticity in design
4. Creativity of display
5. Craftsmanship
Total
20 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
100 points
School Awards
First -- $300, Second -- $200, Third -- $100, Fourth -- $75, Fifth -- $50
11
B. ORAL PRESENTATION (Presentations & Judging on Day 2)
Rules
1. During the oral presentation, each team will participate in an “assessment” meeting
with the State Department of Transportation where the bridge is being constructed.
Two team members will represent the engineering firm that designed the bridge. The
other two members will play the role of environmentalists consulted during the design
process. Each team needs to address the challenges inherent to the bridge’s structural
design and two other issues of choice from the following list: construction
management, repair and maintenance, environmental concerns, traffic design, and
funding sources. Presentations should include the name of the bridge and its location.
The authentic bridge must also be utilized as a model in this presentation.
2. The total time for each presentation is 12 minutes. The speech portion of the
presentation must be between 6 and 7 minutes, with judges playing an interactive role
through a period of questions and answers for an additional 3-4 minutes at the end of
each presentation. Set-up before/after presentations are included in the 12 minutes.
3. In order to provide consistent and unbiased judging, schools are asked to keep
their team names devoid of references to school or mascot name. Teams are also
asked to temporarily remove articles of clothing and nametags identifying school
and/or mascot during this judging portion of the competition.
4. Oral presentations can take the form of a skit. Creativity, characterizations, and
costumes are encouraged.
5. No notecards are allowed; however, use of props and multimedia are encouraged if
relevant to the historical timeframe of the bridge. Ferris will provide an identical
projector and computer with Microsoft PowerPoint in both a practice room and the
presentation room.
6. Teams will be allowed to bring their own laptops and/or USB drives with their Power
Point presentations pre-loaded. FSU will provide laptops for team presentations if
needed. Power Point files can be loaded and tested on both the practice and
presentation systems. Each team will have access to the practice room prior to the
judged presentation.
7. Coaches must not be present during their team’s presentation.
8. Any audience disruptions by a member(s) of another team and/or their spectators can
result in disqualification of the disruptive team from the competition. Any signal from
the audience concerning time or content may result in the presenting team’s
disqualification.
Evaluation
1. Flow and delivery (transitions, articulation, volume, etc.)
2. Persuasive structure & tone
3. Creativity, characterizations, costumes
4. Effective use of visuals, props, and/or multimedia.
5. Meets all content and rule requirements
Total
20 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
100 points
School Awards
First -- $300, Second -- $200, Third -- $100, Fourth -- $75, Fifth -- $50
12
C. WRITTEN REPORT (Submitted Day 1, judged on Day 2)
1. Three hard copies are required for the judge and must be turned in on Day 1.
2. It would be wise to have an English teacher review this report before submission.
Rules
1. The report must begin with the Bridge Construction Proposal used as a title page.
2. The report must be prepared prior to the on-campus competition
3. The report will be evaluated by a team of technical communication and writing
faculty from Ferris during the second day of on-campus competition.
Directions
1. Research the history and background of the authentic bridge that your team will be
building for the Authentic Bridge portion of the competition. Locate a minimum of
three sources.
2. Learn about the history of the bridge, its design, its dimensions, and its structural
characteristics. Also, learn about the impact the bridge has had on its surroundings,
including sociological, financial, and, environmental issues.
3. Prepare a report about the bridge, using the following specifications:
• You are members of an engineering firm hired to design the bridge.
• You need to address the challenges inherent to the bridge’s structural design and
two other issues of choice from the following list: construction management,
repair and maintenance, environmental concerns, traffic design, and funding
sources.
• Your report should be written for the specific state’s Department of
Transportation where your bridge is located.
Your report should include the following information:
•
•
•
A description of the bridge, including its dimensions and structural
characteristics.
A completed copy of the environmental impact statement found on page 19 of
this booklet, including narrative and diagrams. (If information cannot be found,
you may speculate on the answers to some questions.)
In order to provide consistent and unbiased judging, schools are asked to
keep their team names devoid of references to school or mascot name.
Your final report should follow these format and resource requirements:
•
•
•
•
A page limit of 6-12 pages, excluding the title page and references. Use 12-point
type for the body of the report with Times New Roman type style.
MLA or APA documentation style for all in-text citations and the reference page.
Correct written English (correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar).
Effective use of source materials incorporating factual information with
appropriate citations. (Use of the information you find, but “translate” it using
your words, and identifying all sources with proper in-text citation and reference
pages. Essays that plagiarize source material or fail to acknowledge sources
lose substantial points.
13
Evaluation
1. Format and required components
2. Content evaluation (audience, development, details, etc.)
3. Language and mechanics
Total
20 points
56 points
24 points
100 points
School Awards
First -- $300, Second -- $200, Third -- $100, Fourth -- $75, Fifth -- $50
14
Bridge Construction Proposal – Use as Title Page
Team name___________________________________________________________________
Project location _______________________________________________________________
Bridge name__________________________________________________________________
Bridge type (concrete box beam, timber, concrete I beam, etc.) __________________________
Bridge rise (from bottom of beam to stream bed) ____________________________
Bridge span (length perpendicular to stream) _______________________________
Average stream width at location _________ Normal water level at location _________
100 year flood plain ____________
Highest known water level ____________
Description of location (terrain, vegetation, etc.) _______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Specific environmental issues: (Be brief; further explanation should be covered in your narrative.)
1. ________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________
Plans to address the above environmental issues: (Explain details in your narrative.)
1._____________________________________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________________________________
*Attach a narrative which describes the proposed bridge, its intended use, its impact on the
natural environment (negative and positive), and alternatives considered.
*Attach diagrams showing a side view of the proposed bridge and a cross-sectional view of the
stream. Examples of such diagrams can be found at the following link: www.michigan.gov/deq.
* You may speculate on information which is unavailable to you.
15
D. LOAD-BEARING BRIDGE (Built on Day 1, Load-Bearing Competition Day 2)
OBJECTIVE
To hold a load-bearing, spaghetti bridge building competition during which teams compete in a
timed head to head competition to build a bridge that will hold the most weight.
Rules:
1. Building time will be two (2) hours. Team positions and points will be determined
by the weigh-off. During the construction time, the teams are required to stay at their
construction locations.
2. No outside assistance or advice may be given or solicited. Teacher advisors,
family members and friends are not allowed to provide any assistance, verbal or
otherwise.
3. JUDGES' DECISIONS SHALL BE FINAL ON ALL MATTERS.
MATERIALS PERMITTED
The completed bridge may contain no other materials than the supplied "Spaghetti" and "glue,"
plus the “mystery element” which is revealed at the dinner on Day 1. The glue will be applied
with a hot glue gun. Each team will be provided with two 16 ounce, sealed boxes of new, major
brand regular spaghetti and six (6) 10 inch long sticks of glue, as well as one electric glue gun.
No other spaghetti or glue, other than that provided, will be allowed. In addition, a three by five
inch (3" x 5") beveled piece of plywood with hook attached will also be provided. Contestants
are encouraged to bring extra glue guns. The supplied glue will be the only bonding material
allowed in the contest.
TOOLS PERMITTED
Each team will be permitted to bring and use a limited number of tools, which they may use to
assist them in the construction of the bridge. Tools permitted can include but are not limited to a
tape measure, scissors, needle nose pliers, tweezers and clamps. If cutting tools are utilized, the
team must bring a cutting board. Plans and or building templates may be pre-drawn or pre-built
and then used as tools to assist the team during the competition. Wooden molds are also allowed.
Additional glue guns may be brought and used by the teams. No other devices that generate heat
or other power tools will be allowed.
*Teams must provide judges with a legible list of all tools and templates to be used
during the construction.
*The list will be collected at the start of the Saturday competition.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
• The maximum amount of spaghetti and glue are limited as stated above.
• The bridge shall be free standing (not attached to the testing table in any way).
• Each bridge will be required to cross an open span of twenty-four inches (24").
• There will be no limitation on configuration of the spaghetti.
• Each bridge will be required to support a three by five inch (3" x 5") piece of half inch
(1/2") plywood (which will have a hook attached from which to hang weight) midway
across its roadbed. The 3x5 inch piece of plywood has a 3/16-1/4 radius around the
edges. All bridges must contain an opening through which the plywood and hook will
pass. This plywood piece and hook must be free from any permanent attachment and will
16
•
be added after the bridge has been built. The plywood and hook will be placed
lengthways, not across, the bridge. There must also be unobstructed access from below
to the hook for hanging weight.
Support for the bridge shall be from the top of the level surfaces of the 24" span. Vertical
edges may not be used for support in any way.
The following will be allowed:
The following will not be allowed:
•
•
Anchorage of the ends of the bridge is not permitted. It must sit freely on the deck of the
supports.
A mystery material and design requirement will be given to all competitors during the
Friday banquet. Previous mystery materials have included: two pieces of lasagna, 3 feet
of thread, manicotti, a 3-foot piece of duct tape, playing cards, dog biscuits, and nylon
screen.
TESTING
Following the construction phase, each bridge will be weighed and checked to see if it meets
measurement specifications. Once the time for building has expired, no alterations or repairs will
be allowed.
•
•
•
•
•
The definition of a bridge load includes loading block, hook, chain, and weight-holding
apparatus. The bridge load does not include the weight of the bridge.
All participants are required to wear safety glasses when working with load-bearing
equipment.
During the load-bearing phase, the plywood loading block will be placed on the bridge
lengthwise with the hook at mid-span. The bridge will be put on a fixture that has an
open span of twenty-four (24) inches.
The bridge will be supported from the ends and no part of the bridge will touch the floor.
The testing of each bridge will occur when selected members of the team place the
weights that are provided in a bucket (or weight hanger) and suspend the bucket (or
17
•
•
•
•
weight hanger) from the hook. A maximum of 2 members and a minimum of 1 member
from each team will be allowed to operate the load-bearing equipment.
Teams are limited to a total of five (5) weighings with their bridge. All bridges begin
with, in addition to the block, hook, and chain, a minimum weight of 5 pounds. The
second weighing must total 25 pounds or more. Each of the last three (3) weighings must
exceed the previous weighing but are at the team’s discretion.
The bridge must survive structure failure for five seconds before the weight is removed.
For each weight added, the bridge must survive structure failure for five additional
seconds in order to include that weight in the total.
In addition to total bridge collapse, failure of the bridge can include an abnormal
deflection of the bridge that, in the opinion of the judges, renders it nonfunctional.
In the event of a tie in which bridges support weights within 0.25 pounds of each other, the bridge
that weighs the least will be declared the winner of that position.
Evaluation
Teams will be awarded 25 points for completing a bridge that holds the minimum weight
of 5 pounds for five seconds. Additional points will be awarded for each full pound over
25. (i.e. A bridge that holds 76 pounds will be awarded 76 points, 25 for its initial success
and one point for each of the 51 pounds over 25. A bridge that does not withstand the
initial 5 pounds weight will receive no points.)
School Awards
First -- $300, Second -- $200, Third -- $100, Fourth -- $75, Fifth -- $50.
18
Section III
Suggested Team Activities
19
SUGGESTED SPAGHETTI BRIDGE ACTIVITIES
The following are designed for flexible use, either in a classroom or extra-curricular setting.
They are intended to engage students and foster team structures and problem solving approaches.
Each teacher should determine the amount of time, days and depth to use some, all or none of
these activities. Activities in Leadership, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Writing and
Research are cited at points in this text. All are located in Appendix C. These are meant to
provide curriculum specific experiences. They are related to but do not mimic the competition.
Suggested Activity #1
Divide the class into teams composed of 3 or 4 students. This would be a good time to utilize
some leadership building activities (See Appendix C – Leadership Activities).
Before beginning any group work, it is imperative that all members of the group understand the
dynamics of group work and the role that each member plays. As teacher, you could assign them
to research the dynamics of group work or instruct them that each group must have a recorder
(to take notes on any classroom presentation), a reporter (to share information to the rest of the
class from the group), a timekeeper (to keep track of time remaining on a particular activity, and
a leader/parliamentarian (to keep all group members on task). Of course, all members must be
active participants in addition to these roles.
After discussing the dynamics of group work, it is also important that students understand the
process of brainstorming. Inform students that brainstorming does not involve discussing any of
the ideas and that there are no wrong answers. Brainstorming simply involves creating and
recording ideas.
As an introduction to the Spaghetti Bridge Competition, explain to students that bridges have
played instrumental roles in world and U.S. history and have contributed greatly to society.
Give each group a topic to brainstorm to begin their thinking about bridges. Remind the recorder
to write down the responses. Allow groups 15 minutes to brainstorm on one of the following:
• What did early civilizations use for bridges?
• Bridges help to transport a variety of things. Name as many as you can.
• What were the advantages and disadvantages of the early covered bridges?
• What are the most common materials used in bridge construction?
• List environmental problems that can be caused or solved by bridge construction.
• Name, locate, and identify as many bridges as you can around the state of Michigan, the
nation, or the globe.
After 15 minutes have passed, inform groups that their brainstorming time has expired. Have the
reporter from each group share their results with the class. Have the reporters display their
brainstorming results on butcher paper, a white board, black board, overhead, etc. Save these
results. The information may be valuable in their future project.
20
Suggested Activity # 2
This activity is experiential in design. (See the Mathematics Activities – Appendix C)
Now that the students have begun thinking about bridges in general, inform them that they are
going to be involved in a project involving bridges. Today, they are to pretend that they are a
group of engineers just hired to build a bridge. That is the task that has been given to them by a
governmental agency. You are the supplier of their materials. Sample materials could include
spaghetti & glue, spaghetti & marshmallows, marshmallows & toothpicks, toothpicks & glue, or
any other items similar to those listed. Before the teams begin to build their bridges, inform them
of the following requirements:
•
•
•
•
The bridge shall be free standing.
The complete bridge may contain no other material than what is provided by the teacher.
Each bridge will be required to support, on its roadbed, a 3” by 5” piece of plywood which
will have a hook attached in order to hang weight during a test period. It will be added to the
bridge at the mid-span of the 24”. Be sure to leave some type of opening/hole for the hook
placement.
After each group has completed their bridges (in the amount of time provided by the teacher),
each bridge will be collected and inspected. The piece of plywood will be placed on each
bridge. Those “engineering firms” whose bridge breaks at this point will definitely not be
hired. Those bridges that withstand the hook will have weights applied and the bridge
holding the most weight will be the one used. That “engineering firm” would be the one that
is hired.
Suggested Activity # 3
This activity is designed for team communication and careful information sharing (rules,
evaluation, terms, vocabulary, etc.).
Pass out rules that are provided about the Ferris Spaghetti Bridge Competition and go through
them with your group of students. Be sure to explain the evaluation portion of the rules.
Answer any questions that the students may have. Inform them that they should begin to keep
some sort of journal or log. They can begin their journal with the brainstorming material that was
previously discussed. They should also document the thoughts and activities that were shared in
the bridge building activity completed in #2 above. They should consider continuing or
developing individual assignments and responsibilities within the group.
Inform students that many different types of bridges are currently built and in use. Provide a
vocabulary sheet or list on the whiteboard. Suggestions of some bridge types and vocabulary
include the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Suspension
Cable-Stayed
Cantilever
Concrete Arch
Steel Arch
Segmental Construction
21
Suggested Activity # 3 continued
Inform students that there are also some common vocabulary words associated with bridges.
Again, provide these on a vocabulary sheet or the whiteboard. The students should learn and
incorporate the following words into the oral and/or written portion of their project. The
definition and addition of other words is encouraged.
• Cable
• Pier
• Caisson
• Truss
• Trestle
Suggested Activity # 4
This activity involves the research and production of a written report (see Writing & Research
Activities -- Appendix C).
Because the final report for the competition will need to demonstrate effective research
skills and effective writing skills, you (the instructor) will want to provide instruction on
the following topics:
a. identifying and locating appropriate references
b. knowing the difference between good (reliable, authoritative) and bad (unreliable)
sources
c. deciding how many sources are needed to support and substantiate the facts
d. knowing how to paraphrase, summarize, and quote resource information
e. knowing how to synthesize information from multiple sources into a coherent whole
f. learning how to organize information to meet the needs of the audience and the
requirements of the assignment
g. learning how to write effectively to meet the needs of the audience and the
requirements of the assignment
h. learning how to edit writing effectively to ensure readability and to meet the
conventions of “standard written English”
Because these topics form the basis of most writing classrooms, the goals of the essay portion of
the Spaghetti Bridge Competition match the goals of the high school English classroom well. An
additional goal of the Spaghetti Bridge Competition, which also matches that of most writing
teachers, is that the students learn to enjoy research and writing and learn how to use these skills
in all subject areas and in all parts of their lives. Library and Internet research is essential
here.
The activities contained in Appendix C may give you ideas of ways you can introduce the aims of
the Spaghetti Bridge Competition in your writing classroom while meeting the shared goals of
effective writing and editing skills.
22
Suggested Activity # 5
Inform each group that they will be presenting their information orally in an organized
presentation to the rest of their class. Emphasize that this oral presentation will aid them in
preparing for their final presentation, which will be evaluated. You may wish to establish
criterion similar to those stated in the rules & evaluation portion of this project. Be sure to give
students a particular window of time (example: five to six minutes) for their presentation length
and grade them similarly to how they will be evaluated at the actual competition. Encourage
them to be interesting and creative in this endeavor. (See Social Science Activities – Appendix C
and Oral Presentation Criteria in Appendix D).
Suggested Activity # 6
Now that each group has spent some time researching and learning about the history of bridges,
their uses, the different types of bridges, etc. they are now ready to begin planning to construct
their off-site bridge for competition.
Have all students report to their respective groups. Refresh their memory on the different bridges
that can be seen/used around the world. Each group is to select a specific bridge (i.e. Blue Water
Bridge, Golden Gate, Brooklyn, etc.) for which they are to become the experts.
Remind each group to make sure and select a bridge for which they will be able to obtain a
picture and significant information for research, written and oral presentation, and model
construction purposes.
As groups select their bridge, remind them to carefully review the rules of the competition and
how the evaluation will occur.
At this point in time, it is to your benefit to find out if there are indeed teams that are interested in
the actual competition. Share information about the benefits and prizes that are being made
available by Ferris State University for those who compete. If enough students are interested,
proceed with the instructions to complete the project requirements. You may wish to devise your
own classroom or high school competition to select the final team to represent your school. You
are welcome to use the Curriculum and Guidelines for any in-school, non-commercial
competition. Otherwise, it may be in your best interest to complete your discussion on bridges
and move on.
Suggested Activity # 7
Have each member of each group create or locate a sketch, picture, or schema of the group's
bridge. Give the groups a time limit in which to work. (i.e. the sketches must be completed in
two days) The work could be done on sketch paper or by computer.
After each student has completed their sketch, direct students to get into their groups. Each group
should look at the sketches of their fellow group members. It will be decided by the group as to
whose sketch will be used in the journal and presentation. However, all sketches could be
collected and used as part of each individual student’s grade.
23
Suggested Activity # 8
Research the potential environmental impacts (positive and negative) of this bridge. During the
historical period when the bridge was built, would these environmental factors have been a
consideration? Could the planners/builders have predicted its impact with the technology
available to them?
• Run off
• Erosion
• Pollution (with/without the bridge)
• Wetland displacement/disturbance
• Shortened traveling distances
• Other (?)
Suggested Activity # 9
After the sketch/schema has been selected, a scaled drawing must be completed. Remind
students that they need to be sure they have the correct measurements from their research. The
scaled drawing could be completed on graph paper or by computer. This scaled drawing must
take into account the base size allowed for the competition rules. (See Appendix C -Mathematics Activities).
Suggested Activity # 10
The scaled drawing may be used in the group’s oral and/or written presentation. Inform the
groups that the next activity they will be involved in is constructing their respective bridge out of
pasta. Have each group discuss the feasibility of constructing their bridge to scale. Is it feasible?
Why or why not? How is each group going to address this issue in their construction and their
oral/written presentations? (See Appendix C – Mathematics Activities)
Suggested Activity # 11
After the scaled drawing has been completed and the discussion on constructing the bridge to
scale has taken place, the construction of the off-site Spaghetti Bridge may begin. Each group
should review the rules as to the construction, base size, etc.
Discussion should occur as to how this bridge is going to be constructed, what type of nonspaghetti material will be used as representative scenery, etc. Remind students that they will be
competing for authenticity, not load-bearing, with the bridge they produce here. Also, they will
face the task of safely transporting this bridge to the Ferris campus for judging.
Suggested Activity # 12
Following the construction portion of the project, each group must prepare their written and oral
presentation. Review the rules and evaluation procedures before groups begin working on these
portions. Each group should discuss and decide who will be actively involved in the oral
presentation and who will be responsible for the final written presentation. When the group is
24
preparing their oral and written presentations, they should always keep the evaluation criterion in
mind. (See Appendix C – Writing & Research Activities and Appendix D – Evaluation Criteria).
Refer to activity #4 as the steps for activity #12 are the same.
After ample preparation time has been given, a final copy of each written report should be turned
in for grading and allow each group to give their oral presentation to the rest of the class
Suggested Activity # 13
As the first step in beginning #12, be sure to refer to the load-bearing competition rules for
constructing the bridge. This activity stresses the importance of practicing the load-bearing
competition.
It is important to begin to plan for the on-site competition. Repetitious bridge building for
load-bearing results, trying to hold more and more weight, is the key. Students should try
different designs and different models, looking for the best load-bearing bridges. (See Appendix
C – Mathematics Activities).
At Ferris, competing teams will be starting from scratch to create the on-site bridge. As teams
finish and experiment with their bridge designs, they should try another or adapt the one they
built previously to try and make it hold more weight. Practice is the key to success!
References:
1. Analyze and Apply, Inc., (1994) East Lansing, Michigan.
2. Corryong Secondary College, Corryong, Victoria 3707.
3. Fleury, J. and Gadbois, M. (1996) Project Smart96, North Cumberland Middle School,
Cumberland, Rhode Island (website).
4. Wurdinger, S. and Priest, S. (In Press) Experiential learning: A new model for integrating
theory and application in the learning sequence. In J. Miles and S. Priest (Eds.) Adventure
Programming. (2nd edition). State College: Venture Press:
25
Appendices A through G
26
Appendix A
Scholarship & Award Details
Current and Past
27
FSU SPAGHETTI BRIDGE COMPETITION
SCHOLARSHIP AND CLASSROOM AWARD DETAILS
Scholarship Awards - Best Overall
(combined scores of Authentic Design, Oral Presentation, Written Presentations and On-site,
Load-bearing bridge)
1st Place
•
•
Four $2000, Ferris tuition scholarships ($1000 per semester, first year only).
Primary coach receives 1 tuition-free, 3 credit hour course at a FSU location of
his/her choice.
2nd Place
•
•
Four $1000, Ferris tuition scholarships ($500 per semester, first year only).
Primary coach receives 1 tuition-free, 3 credit hour course at a FSU location of
his/her choice.
3rd Place
•
•
Four $500, Ferris tuition scholarships ($250 per semester, first year only).
Primary coach receives 1 tuition-free, 3 credit hour course at a FSU location of
his/her choice.
Overall scholarship details
•
•
•
•
•
•
Scholarship amounts are not cumulative. Scholarship winnings cannot be combined.
All scholarships are non-renewable and non-transferable.
All teacher scholarships must be used within one calendar year.
Student scholarships must be used within one year of high school graduation, and the
student must be eligible for admission to Ferris.
Student scholarships can be combined with other Ferris scholarships.
Teams are eligible to win multiple cash classroom awards.
Cash Award Categories
(Identical cash awards for all four categories)
Most Promising Rookies Award
$100
Winners of Authentic Bridge Design
Winners of Oral Presentation
Winners of Written Presentation
Winners of Load-bearing Competition
(1st-5th place)
(1st-5th place)
(1st-5th place)
(1st-5th place)
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
4th Place
5th Place
$300 to the lab, classroom, or club designated by the sponsoring school’s team.
$200 to the lab, classroom, or club designated by the sponsoring school’s team.
$100 to the lab, classroom, or club designated by the sponsoring school’s team.
$ 75 to the lab, classroom, or club designated by the sponsoring school’s team.
$ 50 to the lab, classroom, or club designated by the sponsoring school’s team.
28
Winner List for 2016 Competition
Overall Scholarship Winners
1st Place – Big Rapids High School/Lost in the Sauce
•
Four $2000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
2nd Place – Clinton High School/The Stealers
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
3rd Place – Big Rapids High School/Spaghetti Wap
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
Winners of the Authentic Bridge Design
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
$300 to Memphis High School/4 AmiGoats
$200 to Clinton High School/The Stealers
$100 to Clinton High School/D3, Inc.
$75 to Big Rapids High School/Spaghetti Wap
$50 to Big Rapids High School/Lost in the Sauce
Winners of the Oral Presentation
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
$300 to Memphis High School/Spaghetti Slashers
$200 to Memphis High School/4 AmiGoats
$100 to Clinton High School/The Stealers
$75 to Kenowa Hills High School/Nerdy Noodles
$50 to Clinton High School/D3, Inc.
Winners of the Written Presentation
$300 to Lawton High School/The Four Horsemen
1st
$200 to Clinton High School/D3, Inc.
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/The Stealers
3rd
4th (Tie) $75 to Memphis High School/Spaghetti Slashers
4th (Tie) $75 to Kenowa Hills High School/Nerdy Noodles
Winners of the Load Bearing Competition
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
$300 to Big Rapids High School/Lost in the Sauce
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Spaghetti Wap
$100 to Memphis High School/4 AmiGoats
$75 to Clinton High School/D3, Inc.
$50 to Clinton High School/The Stealers
29
Winner List for 2015 Competition
Overall Scholarship Winners
•
•
•
1st Place – Lawton High School/Thunderducks?
Four $2000 student tuition scholarships
One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
•
•
•
2nd Place – The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
•
•
•
3rd Place – Clinton High School/Geek Squad
Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
Winners of the Authentic Bridge Design
$300 to The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
1st
$200 to Lawton High School/Thunderducks?
2nd
$100 to Big Rapids High School/2001: A Spaghetti Odyssey
3rd
$75 to Clinton High School/Euler’s Oilers
4th
$50 to Clinton High School/Geek Squad
5th
Winners of the Oral Presentation
$300 to Lawton High School/Thunderducks?
1st
$200 to Kenowa Hills High School/Big Fellas
2nd
$100 to Owosso High School/Dirk Co.
3rd
$75 to The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Forth Imagination
5th
Winners of the Written Presentation
$300 to Lawton High School/Thunderducks?
1st
$200 to The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/Geek Squad
3rd
$75 to Clinton High School/Euler’s Oilers
4th
$50 to Owosso High School/Dirk Co.
5th
Winners of the Load Bearing Competition
$300 to Clinton High School/Geek Squad
1st
$200 to Clinton High School/Euler’s Oilers
2nd
$100 to Big Rapids High School/2001: A Spaghetti Odyssey
3rd
$75 to Kenowa Hills High School/Big Fellas
4th
$50 to The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
5th
30
Winner List for 2014 Competition
Overall Scholarship Winners
1st Place – Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
•
Four $2000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
2nd Place – Clinton High School/The Men
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
3rd Place – Big Rapids High School/Mostaccioli Magicians
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
Winners of Most Promising Rookies Award
$100
Owosso High School
Winners of the Authentic Bridge Design
$300 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Mostaccioli Magicians
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/The Men
3rd
$75 to Big Rapids High School/OG Squid
4th
$50 to Lawton High School/Infinite Pastabilities
5th
Winners of the Oral Presentation
$300 to Clinton High School/The Men
1st
$200 to Lawton High School/The Leftovers
2nd
$100 to Lawton High School/Infinite Pastabilities
3rd
$75 to The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
4th
$50 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
5th
Winners of the Written Presentation
$300 to Clinton High School/The Men
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Mostaccioli Magicians
2nd
$100 to The Midland Academy/Overthinkers
3rd
$75 to Kenowa Hills High School/Speg Heads
4th
$50 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
5th
Winners of the Load Bearing Competition
$300 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Mostaccioli Magicians
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/The Men
3rd
$75 to Kenowa Hills High School/3 Noodles, 1 Ravioli
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Speg Heads
5th
31
Winner List for 2013 Competition
Overall Scholarship Winners
1st Place – Clinton High School/DLM
•
Four $2000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
2nd Place – Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
3rd Place – Lawton High School/Odd Bridge Out
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for a three credits
Winners of the Authentic Bridge Design
$300 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
1st
$200 to Lawton High School/Odd Bridge Out
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/DLM
3rd
$75 to Big Rapids High School/Slapshot Magoos
4th
$50 to Summit Academy High School/The Schmucks
5th
Winners of the Oral Presentation
$300 to Summit Academy High School/The Schmucks
1st
$200 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
2nd
$100 to Lawton High School/Odd Bridge Out
3rd
$75 to Evart High School/Blue
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Elite 4
5th
Winners of the Written Presentation
$300 to Clinton High School/DLM
1st
$200 to Lawton High School/Odd Bridge Out
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
3rd
$75 to Summit Academy High School/The Schmucks
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Elite 4
5th
Winners of the Load Bearing Competition
$300 to Clinton High School/DLM
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Pasta Patriots
2nd
$100 to Big Rapids High School/Slapshot Magoos
3rd
$75 to Clinton High School/Oh Snap!
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Elite 4
5th
32
Winner List for 2012 Competition
Overall Scholarship Winners
1st Place – Big Rapids High School/Noodle Squad
•
Four $2000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
2nd Place – Summit Academy High School/Inner-City Conveyor Belts
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
3rd Place – Big Rapids High School/Rotini Rebels
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
Winners of Most Promising Rookies Award
$100
Memphis High School
Winners of the Authentic Bridge Design
$300 to Summit Academy High School/Skam’d Skyway
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Rotini Rebels
2nd
$100 to Big Rapids High School/Noodle Squad
3rd
$75 to University of Detroit Jesuit High School/Possum Platoon
4th
$50 to Clinton High School/Bobz Little Builders
5th
Winners of the Oral Presentation
$300 to Summit Academy High School/Inner-City Conveyor Belts
1st
$200 to University of Detroit Jesuit High School/Possum Platoon
2nd
$100 to Harper Creek High School/Burning Bridges
3rd
$75 to Big Rapids High School/Rotini Rebels
4th
$50 to Summit Academy High School/Skam’d Skyway
5th
Winners of the Written Presentation
$300 to Lawton HighSchool/Noodle Squad
1st
$200 to Summit Academy High School/Inner-City Conveyor Belts
2nd
$100 to Evart High School/Pasta Pacck
3rd
$75 to Summit Academy High School/Skam’d Skyway
4th
$50 to Lawton High School/Swiss Army
5th
Winners of the Load Bearing Competition
$300 to Big Rapids High School/Noodle Squad
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Noodle Squad
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/Team Thunder Ducks
3rd
$75 to Summit Academy High School/Inner-City Conveyor Belts
4th
$50 to University of Detroit Jesuit High School/Possum Platoon
5th
33
Winner List for 2011 Competition
Overall Scholarship Winners
1st Place – Sacred Heart Academy/Team !
•
Four $2000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
2nd Place – Big Rapids High School/Like a Boss
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
3rd Place – Sacred Heart Academy/Team Ctrl
• Four $1000 student tuition scholarships
• One teacher tuition-free scholarship for three credit hours
Winners of Most Promising Rookies Award
$100
Lawton High School
Winners of the Authentic Bridge Design
$300 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team !
1st
$200 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team Ctrl
2nd
$100 to Mattawan High School/Reloj De Sol
3rd
$75 to University of Detroit Jesuit High School/Iron Cubs
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Money Over Bridges
5th
Winners of the Oral Presentation
$300 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team !
1st
$200 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team Ctrl
2nd
$100 to Summit Academy High School/Los Fideos Grandes
3rd
$75 to University of Detroit Jesuit High School/Iron Cubs
4th
$50 to Lawton High School/Dingo
5th
Winners of the Written Presentation
$300 to University of Detroit Jesuit High School/Iron Cubs
1st
$200 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team !
2nd
$100 to Clinton High School/Yankee Noodles
3rd
$75 to Clinton High School/Bob’s Little Builders
4th
$50 to Kenowa Hills High School/Money Over Bridges
5th
Winners of the Load Bearing Competition
$300 to Big Rapids High School/Like a Boss
1st
$200 to Big Rapids High School/Bionic Burritos
2nd
$100 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team Ctrl
3rd
$75 to Sacred Heart Academy/Team !
4th
$50 to Harper Creek High School/Strange Velocity
5th
34
Appendix B
SCORING DETAILS
35
SCORING DETAILS
A. Written Report
100 points maximum
B. Oral Presentation
100 points maximum
C. Authentic Bridge
100 points maximum
Totals
300 points maximum
D. Load-Bearing Competition
Points awarded for the load-bearing bridge competition are open-ended. A bridge will be
awarded with the minimum of 25 points if it is constructed following the rules and
completes the minimum weight requirement of 5 pounds for 5 seconds. However, a
bridge that holds more than 25 pounds will be awarded one point for each pound of
weight that it holds. Thus, it is possible that a bridge could accumulate a very large
number of points in this competition. Points accumulated in the load-bearing competition
will be added to Day 1’s total to decide the overall scholarship winners.
1st Place = highest overall points
2nd Place = second highest overall points
3rd Place = third highest overall points
36
Appendix C
Curriculum Activities
1.
2.
3.
4.
Leadership Activities
Mathematics Activities
Social Science Activities
Writing and Research
37
Curriculum Activities
Leadership Activities
Contributed by Dr. Scott Wurdinger
38
Leadership Activities
Introduction:
Effective leadership requires a combination of numerous qualities such as communication,
willingness to take risks, trust, and on the spot problem solving. The purpose of these activities is
to help your spaghetti bridge building team become a more effective team by developing these
qualities. The activities are meant to be used at the beginning of the spaghetti bridge building
process, preferably on the first day you meet with the group, to help your team get to know one
another better and begin working on effective leadership skills. However, the activities may also
be used intermittently throughout your spaghetti bridge building sessions, preferably at the
beginning of the work sessions to refresh or reinforce qualities.
Suggested Leadership Activity One: Leadership Traits
Objective: To learn about your group members and how they function in small groups.
Set Up:
1. Take five minutes to have each member write his or her strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
Use the format of “I am a…..” (i.e. Strength: I am self-directed. I am a good communicator.
Weakness: I get frustrated easily.)
2. Have each member present these to the rest of the group.
Discussion:
Ask questions such as:
•
•
•
•
How might these strengths and weaknesses affect the bridge building process?
What can group members do to support one another when things are not going so well in the
building process?
How will your group resolve conflicts if they occur in your group?
Can you resolve conflicts without your supervisor being present? How will you do this?
Suggested Leadership Activity Two: Trust Falls
Objective: To demonstrate willingness to take risks and build trust in the group. (This activity
must be approached with caution to prevent the possibility of injury to a “faller.”
Set up:
1. Pair up
2. Have one person as a “spotter” and one person as a “faller.”
3. Have the faller keep a rigid body with arms crossed over the chest and fall backward into the
arms of the spotter. The spotter should stay close to the faller (no more than a foot away).
4. Switch roles once the faller becomes comfortable with his/her spotter.
39
Variation: If you have enough people, spotters can stand in a circle with the faller in the center.
Keep in mind the circle should be tight with spotters fairly close to the faller.
Discussion:
•
Discuss in the form of questions the importance of taking risks and building trust in the
group. Keep in mind that taking risks is a key factor in becoming an effective leader.
•
Discuss how the “trust falls” might relate to building a spaghetti bridge as a team.
Ask questions such as:
•
•
•
•
How does this activity apply to the process of building spaghetti bridges?
Why is it important to trust one another in this group?
What other things can we do to build trust in the group?
What can we do if trust begins to erode in the group?
Suggested Leadership Activity Three: Copy Cat
Objective: To demonstrate effective communication skills.
Set up:
1. Select one person to draw seven different shapes of various sizes on a piece of paper. (shapes
like squares, circles, triangles, etc work very well, however other things can be used).
2. The other team members should not see these shapes.
3. The drawer then describes to the other team members how to draw all the shapes including
their size and location on the paper. In other words they must reproduce the drawing as
accurately as possible without use exact words like “square, etc.”
4. Give the team members a set amount of time to complete this activity. (e.g. “You must
complete the picture in 4 minutes.”)
Discussion:
Discuss in the form of questions the challenges associated with communication during the
activity. Raise questions about how this activity might apply to the challenges of communicating
while building spaghetti bridges.
Ask questions such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why was this activity difficult?
Give examples of how miscommunication affected your drawing?
How could you have been more precise?
What constitutes effective communication and listening?
What effect did the time constraint have on your group?
How will time constraints be imposed on the group during the bridge building process?
What do time constraints suggest about team organization during the building process?
40
Suggested Leadership Activity Four: Blindfold Square
Objective: To demonstrate effective problem solving skills.
Materials:
1. Blindfolds for each team member
2. Thirty foot lengths of rope for each team
Set up:
1. Blindfold everyone in the group.
2. Tie the ends of the rope together.
3. Place the rope in the group’s hands and tell them to form a perfect square with the rope
without taking their blindfolds off.
Discussion:
Discuss in the form of questions how the group solved this problem.
Ask questions such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What individual and team qualities allowed them to solve the problem?
Was it easier for one person to take charge or for the whole group to communicate at the
same time?
Is it more effective to have one person in charge of the group or to have everyone take
equal leadership roles? Why?
How might this activity apply to the challenges of building a spaghetti bridge in a
competition?
What problems might you face in the bridge building process?
What specific roles did people take during this process?
Were people effective in these roles?
The following link will take your team to a bridge building game, which will add to the fun
and learning! http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/build.html
41
Curriculum Activities
Mathematics Activities
Contributed by Randy Maddock
42
Suggested Mathematics Activity One
Getting Acquainted with Bridges from Around the World: A Metric Conversion Activity
The following activity serves two purposes. First, the activity will allow students to become
acquainted with some notable modern bridges from around the world. If any students are
planning to compete at the Ferris State University Spaghetti Bridge Competition, they may decide
to use one of the bridges in this activity. Second, students will gain practice in converting
between the English and Metric systems of measurement and converting from one unit to another
within the same system.
1. The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge over the Hudson River in New York
City. It was completed in the year 1931. The length of its main span is approximately 3,500
feet. Convert this length to a) yards, b) miles, and c) inches.
2. The Ponte 25 de Abril is a suspension bridge over the Tagus River at Lisbon, Portugal. It
was completed in the year 1966. The length of its main span is approximately 1,013.0
meters. Convert this length to a) kilometers, b) millimeters, and c) centimeters. For parts b
and c, express your answer in scientific notation.
3. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge located in Tampa, Florida that was
completed in 1987. The length of its main span is approximately 1,200 feet. Convert this
length to a) yards, b) meters, c) kilometers, and d) inches.
4. The Quebec Railway Bridge is a cantilever bridge that was completed in 1917. It is located
in Quebec, Canada. The length of its main span is approximately 549.0 meters. Convert this
length to a) kilometers, b) inches, c) feet, and d) yards.
5. In 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge was completed in Fayetteville, West Virginia. It is a
steel arch bridge, whose main span length is approximately 1,700 feet. Convert this length to
a) centimeters, b) kilometers, c) inches, and d) yards.
6. The Astoria Bridge is a continuous truss bridge located in Astoria, Oregon. It was completed
in 1966 and the length of its main span is approximately 376.0 meters. If you ran at the same
pace as Roger Bannister did in 1954 (he ran one mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds), how long
would it take you to run the length of the main span of the Astoria Bridge? Assume that you
run at a constant rate.
7. The Gladesville Bridge is a concrete arch bridge located in Sydney, Australia. It was
completed in 1964. The length of its main span is approximately 305,000 millimeters. The
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is a suspension bridge in Hyogo, Japan that was completed in 1998.
The length of its main span is approximately 78,348 inches. Finally, the Commodore John
Barry Bridge is a cantilever bridge located in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was completed in
1974 and the length of its main span is approximately one-half a kilometer. Place these three
bridges in order of increasing main span length.
43
Suggested Mathematics Activity Two
Is there a relationship between the length of spaghetti and its strength?
A graphing interpretation activity
In this activity, students will be determining if there is a relationship between the length of a piece
of spaghetti and its strength. If any students are planning to attend Ferris State University’s
Spaghetti Bridge Competition, this activity may assist them in their bridge construction. Each
group will need a set of kitchen scales or a set of scales from the science department. They
should answer all questions in complete sentences on a separate sheet of paper. A sample data
table is attached.
1. Each group should obtain a handful of raw spaghetti from the teacher.
2. Measure and cut five different lengths of spaghetti. For each of the 5 different lengths, be
sure to have 3 pieces of spaghetti for each length.
3. Using your set of scales, take each length of spaghetti and press down on top of it while its
bottom end is resting on the scales.
4. Eventually, as you press harder, the spaghetti will buckle and break.
5. Record the strength for each length from the reading on the scales. Repeat the steps above to
ensure your data is precise and accurate. You should plan to measure the strength and length
three times. Calculate the average strength for each different length of spaghetti and use the
average for the following steps.
6. Draw a graph of the strength versus the length.
7. What does the graph look like?
8. Which length of spaghetti gives you the maximum compressive strength?
9. Would you use lengths of spaghetti, which were this length in all parts of your bridge? Why
or why not.
10. After analyzing your graph, estimate the compressive strength for 2 different lengths of
spaghetti you did not actually test.
11. After estimating the compressive strength, cut pieces of spaghetti to the lengths used in #10.
Then, actually perform the test to see what the compressive strength is. Be sure to conduct
the test several times to ensure precision and accuracy.
12. How close was your estimate to the actual compressive strength? What was the difference
between your estimation and the actual compressive strength?
44
Suggested Mathematics Activity Two continued
Length of Spaghetti vs. Compressive Strength
Sample Data Tables
Length of Spaghetti
Compressive Strength
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 1st Length:
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 2nd Length:
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 3rd Length:
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 4th Length:
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 5th Length:
Length of Spaghetti Not Actually Tested in Above
Experiment:
Length of Spaghetti Not Actually Tested in Above
Experiment:
Estimated Compressive Strength of Respective Length:
Estimated Compressive Strength of Respective Length:
Length of Spaghetti
Compressive Strength
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 1st Length:
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Average Strength for 2nd Length:
What is difference between your estimated compressive strength and the actual measured average
compressive strength for each of the 2 different lengths?
45
Suggested Mathematics Activity Three
Real World Mathematics: A Dialogue with a Civil Engineer
This activity is designed to help students understand that mathematics is used in the planning,
design, and construction of bridges.
Invite a civil engineer into your mathematics classroom as a guest speaker. Contact the Michigan
Department of Transportation, a local engineering firm, your city’s department of public works,
etc… and inquire about getting a civil engineer come to your classroom as a guest speaker.
Inform the civil engineer that it is your goal for them to explain how they use mathematics in
their job on a daily basis.
Prior to the civil engineer coming to your classroom, have each student write at least 5 questions
that they would like to ask the civil engineer.
After the civil engineer speaks with your students, have each of them write a reaction paper
explaining what they learned from him/her. In their paper, be sure they explain in their own
words how a civil engineer uses mathematics in his/her daily routine.
Suggested Mathematics Activity Four
Thinking About Tensile Strength and Spaghetti Bridges
The tensile strength of a material describes how far the material can be stretched before it breaks.
This activity assists students in beginning to think about building a better load bearing bridge.
This activity could help students planning to participate in the Ferris State University Spaghetti
Bridge Competition, as the load bearing competition is the final portion of the competition.
Each group will need a handful of uncooked spaghetti, a bucket, a supply of water, sand, or some
form of weight, a supply of strong cotton thread, and a hot glue gun with a glue stick.
1. Tie a piece of strong cotton thread to each end of a piece of spaghetti.
2. Tie a bucket onto one of the ends of the spaghetti and use the other string to hang the
spaghetti vertically.
3. Add water, sand, or some other type of weight to the bucket until the spaghetti breaks. Be
sure and record the amount of weight added.
4. Now, join 2 pieces of spaghetti together side by side by using the hot glue gun.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 3.
6. Join 3 pieces of spaghetti together side by side using the hot glue gun.
46
7. Repeat steps 1 through 3.
8. Join 4 pieces of spaghetti together side by side using the hot glue gun.
9. Repeat steps 1 through 3.
10. Graph your results using the number of pieces of spaghetti on the x-axis and the amount of
weight added on the y-axis.
11. Explain what the graph looks like.
12. Do different combinations change the tensile strength of the spaghetti? Explain your
thoughts in complete sentences.
13. How could this knowledge help you in building an entire spaghetti bridge?
14. Using the graph produced in step 10, estimate the weight that could be held if 5 pieces of
spaghetti were glued together and the same test conducted.
15. Now, join 5 pieces of spaghetti together side by side using the hot glue gun and repeat steps 1
through 3.
16. How much weight was held?
17. What is the difference between your estimation (#14) and the actual amount of weight held.
47
Curriculum Activities
Social Studies Activities
Contributed by Randy Maddock
48
Suggested Social Studies Activity One
Getting Acquainted with Bridges from Around the World: A Geography/World Affairs
Activity
The activity below serves two purposes. First, you will become acquainted with some notable
modern bridges from around the world. If any students are planning to compete at Ferris State
University’s Spaghetti Bridge Competition, they may decide to use one of the bridges in this
activity. Second, you will become familiar with the geography of the country in which the bridge
is located.
Students are to get into groups of three or four in size. Each group will become the ‘geographical
experts’ of the country and/or city in which a particular bridge is found. Students will be
assigned or select a particular bridge from the bridge list that follows. Using the suggested topics,
1-12, students will report on the results of their research on their selected/assigned bridge.
Suggested research topics
1. What is the name of bridge that has been assigned to your group? In what country is
this bridge located?
2. On which of the continents can this country be found?
3. What is the capital city of this country?
4. What is the population of a) the entire country and b) the capital city?
5. What is the primary language spoken in this country?
6. What type of government does this country follow?
7. Are there any significant bodies of water located in this country? What about
mountain ranges?
8. Beside the capital city, what are the next two large cities in this particular country?
9. Discuss the economic status of this country. What is the name of the currency for
this country and how does it relate to the US dollar?
10. Discuss several ways the culture for this particular country differs from our culture
here in the United States.
11. List three other significant findings from your research that were impressive
regarding your particular country.
12. What significant historical events have involved your particular country?
49
Suggested Social Studies Activity One continued
Possible Bridges to Research for this Geography Activity:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge located in Hyogo, Japan
Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge located in Lisbon, Portugal
Quebec Railway located in Quebec, Canada
Gladesville Bridge located in Sydney, Australia
Dartford Bridge located in Dartford, England
Quishi Bridge located in Guangdong Province, China
Ting Kau Bridge located in Hong Kong
Dao Kanong Bridge located in Bangkok, Thailand
Barrio de Luna Bridge located in Cordillera, Spain
Helgeland Bridge located in Nordland, Norway
Krk Bridge located in Krk, Croatia
Amizade Bridge located in Brazil
Sibenik Bridge located in Yugoslavia
Patras Bridge located in Greece
Birchenough Bridge located in Zimbabwe
Howrah Bridge located in Calcutta, India
First and Second Bosporus Bridge located in Istanbul, Turkey
Hoga Kusten Bridge located in Stockholm, Sweden
Each group should conduct the necessary research to address the topics listed previously. Each
group should be prepared to present their finding to the rest of the class in an organized and
creative fashion.
Suggested Social Studies Activity Two
The History of Bridges: A Look at American History
The following activity is designed to assist students in two areas. First, bridges have played an
integral role in our history. Students will become acquainted with some notable modern bridges
around the United States. If any students are planning to compete in the Ferris State University
Spaghetti Bridge Competition, this activity may assist them in their bridge selection, construction,
and presentation. Second, students will be conducting research and developing a paper and/or
presentation to share the results of their research.
1. Divide students into groups of two.
2. Assign each pair of students a bridge from the following list of possibilities. Note that in
addition to the name of the bridge, the location and year of completion is provided.
3. Inform students to conduct research addressing the following list of topics. A written and/or
oral presentation can be used to share their research findings:
List of Topics:
a. Share the name of your assigned bridge, its location, and year of completion.
50
Suggested Social Studies Activity Two continued
b. Who were president and vice president of the United States at the time your
particular bridge was completed? With what political party were they affiliated?
c. How many years had the state in which your bridge is located been a part of the
United States of America?
d. At the time your bridge was completed, who was the Governor of the state in which
your bridge is located? With which political party was he/she affiliated?
e. What significant historical events occurred in the United States during the year in
which your bridge was completed? Discuss at least three.
f.
What significant historical events occurred in the state in which your bridge is
located during the year in which it was completed? Discuss at least two.
g. How has your bridge impacted the economic, social and environmental location
where it was built in respect to those factors before the bridge was built?
h. How do you think the history of this respective location will change over the next
100 years regarding this particular bridge?
Possible Bridges to Research for this American History Activity:
Name of Bridge
Location
Year of Completion
Astoria Bridge
Croton Reservoir Bridge
Ravenswood Bridge
Central Bridge
Dubuque Bridge
Westinghouse Bridge
Cappelen Bridge
Dame Point Bridge
Hale Boggs Memorial
Sunshine Skyway
Commodore John Barry
Longview Bridge
Queensboro Bridge
Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Newport Bridge
Ambassador International
Golden Gate Bridge
Tacoma Narrows II Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Delaware Memorial
Astoria, Oregon
Croton, New York
Ravenswood, West Virginia
Newport, Kentucky
Dubuque, Iowa
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jacksonville, Florida
Luling, Louisiana
Tampa, Florida
Chester, Pennsylvania
Longview, Washington
New York City, New York
Sandy Point, Maryland
Newport, Rhode Island
Detroit, Michigan
San Francisco, California
Tacoma, Washington
New York City, New York
Wilmington, Delaware
1966
1970
1981
1995
1943
1931
1923
1988
1983
1987
1974
1930
1909
1952
1969
1929
1937
1950
1883
1951, 1968
51
Reminder to students who may be competing in Ferris State University’s Spaghetti Bridge
Competition: A portion of the competition is based on authenticity, a written presentation, and an
oral presentation. Some of the information gathered in this activity may be used in your
competition entry. Think about the competition as you are conducting your research and
planning your paper and/or presentation for this assignment.
Suggested Social Studies Activity Three
Real World History: A Dialogue with a Civil Engineer
This activity is designed to assist students in understanding that the planning, design, and
construction of bridges has changed over time.
Invite a civil engineer into your social studies classroom as a guest speaker. Contact the
Michigan Department of Transportation, a local engineering firm, your city’s department of
public works, etc… and inquire about getting a civil engineer to come to your classroom as a
guest speaker. Inform the civil engineer that it is your goal for them to explain how the history of
bridge construction has changed over the course of history. They may explain how the planning
has changed, the design(s) has/have changed, and how the construction has changed.
Prior to the civil engineer coming to your classroom, have each student write at least 5 questions
that they would like to ask the civil engineer.
After the civil engineer speaks with your students, have each of them write a reaction paper
explaining what they learned from him/her. In their paper, be sure they explain in their own
words how bridge building has changed over the course of history.
Social Studies Activity Four
The History of Bridges – Part 2: This Time, A Look at World History
The following activity is designed to assist students in two areas. First, bridges have played an
integral role during the course of time. Students will become acquainted with some notable
modern bridges from around the world. Second, students will be conducting research and
developing a paper and/or presentation to share their research findings.
1. Divide students into groups of two.
2. Assign each pair of students a bridge from the attached list of possibilities. Note that in
addition to the name of the bridge, the location and year of completion is provided.
3. Inform students to conduct research addressing the following topics. A written and/or oral
presentation can be used to share their research findings:
List of topics:
a. Share the name of your assigned bridge, its location, and year of completion.
52
b.
Who was the leader of the country in which your bridge is located during the year in which it
was completed? Who is the current leader of this particular country?
c. What year was this country founded? Has it undergone any name changes,
government changes, or any other significant changes affecting its role as a country?
d. What other countries surround the country in which your bridge is located?
e. During the year in which your bridge was completed, what were some significant
historical events that were occurring around the world?
f.
Discuss the role your country has played in any wars in which they have been
involved. Did the bridge have any impact/role in any of these wars?
g. How has your particular bridge affected the history of the economic status of the
particular location the bridge is found?
h. Look into a crystal ball. From what you have learned about the history of your
particular area, what do see 100 years from now? Is the bridge still there? Has it
changed in any way? How has the country changed?
Possible Bridges to Research for this World History Activity:
Name of Bridge
Location
Year of Completion
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
Humber Bridge
Second Bosporus Bridge
First Bosporus Bridge
Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge
Forth Road Bridge
Pierre Laporte Bridge
Howrah Bridge
Sydney Harbor Bridge
Port Mann Bridge
Thatcher Ferry Bridge
Birchenough Bridge
Ponte de Normandie
Esla Bridge
Zaporazhe Bridge
Fiumarella Bridge
Sibenik Bridge
Krk(I) Bridge
Tenmon Bridge
Hyogo, Japan
Hull, England
Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey
Lisbon, Portugal
Queensferry, Scotland
Quebec, Canada
Calcutta, India
Sydney, Australia
Vancouver, British Columbia
Panama Canal, Panama
Fort Victoria, Zimbabwe
Le Havre, France
Zamora, Spain
Old Dnepr River, Ukraine
Catanzaro, Italy
Sibenik, Yugoslavia
Krk, Croatia
Kumamoto, Japan
1998
1981
1988
1973
1966
1964
1970
1943
1932
1964
1962
1935
1995
1940
1952
1961
1966
1979
1966
Reminder to students who may be competing in Ferris State University’s Spaghetti Bridge
Competition: A portion of the competition is based on authenticity, a written presentation, and an
oral presentation. Your team may use any of the information gathered in these activities.
53
Curriculum Activities
Writing & Research
Contributed by Dr. Sandra Balkema
54
Class Activities for Writing & Research
Introduction:
Ferris State University’s Spaghetti Bridge Competition has many goals of improving student
performance and student learning. One of these goals is improving student writing, research, and
editing. We hope this competition will provide your students with a real audience for their writing
and a real purpose for writing which will inspire them to be creative and to showcase what they
can do.
Teachers at all levels want their students to enjoy writing and recognize the benefits of good
writing skills. One of the ways teachers can instill a love of writing in their students is to write
with them and let them see their teachers struggling with the same problems of topic choice,
writer’s block, and effective word usage — and gaining the same thrill with a job well done.
Please enjoy these activities with your students, but then allow them to apply their skills to the
essay portion of the competition and demonstrate what they’ve learned.
Suggested Activity One: Using print and non-print materials for research.
This activity relates to the following Frameworks topics: (a) finding and identifying source
material, (b) recognizing “good” and “bad” resources, (c) determining an appropriate
number/quantity of source material for the topic and purpose.
Materials:
•
•
•
a computer with Internet access
library materials, including reference books and periodicals
classroom textbooks
Procedures:
1. Have the students choose a topic which is either specialized (medical, scientific, etc.) or
technical, for example, black holes, cancer, heart attacks, MP3 players. (Lead them to a
topic on which your library has reference material.)
2. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students and have each group responsible for one type
of reference material: textbooks, magazines, Internet sources, large reference books (such
as encyclopedias, specialized dictionaries, etc.), profession journals (if available), etc.
3. Have each group locate whatever information is available on their subject. Notice that
some topics (such as MP3 players) will not be included in most library reference books,
but that other topics (such as heart attacks) will be covered in all areas but will be of
varying quality and quantity. [Note: if your library has copies of old encyclopedias and
dictionaries, you could have one group compare the information in old and new reference
books.]
Discussion Questions:
• Which sources are reliable for which topics and why? What makes these sources
“reliable”?
• Which sources would you use if you wanted to gain general (“what is it?”) information?
• Which sources would you use if you wanted to gain specific (“how does it work?” “how
will it affect me?” etc.) information?
• How do you know if a Web site is reliable or not? (For example, do the words “The
official Web site of ….” mean anything? Why/why not?)
55
Suggested Activity One continued
•
•
How do you know if a book is a reliable source? (For example, how do the age of a
book, the publication location, and the author/editor of the book affect the reliability of
the source?)
How do you know if a magazine or a professional journal article is a reliable source? (For
example, which is more reliable, a Newsweek article about heart attacks or an article
about heart attacks in the New England Journal of Medicine? And, if they’re both
reliable, which would they read to gain personal knowledge and which would they read
to gain professional knowledge?)
Suggested Activity Two:
Quotes, paraphrases, summaries, and syntheses
This activity emphasizes the following Frameworks standards: (a) knowing how to paraphrase,
summarize, and quote resource information, and (b) knowing how to synthesize information from
multiple sources into a coherent whole.
Materials:
•
•
4-6 newspaper articles about the school’s football or basketball games (or similar topic).
[Note: This activity works best with a series of brief articles on the same topic.]
overhead copies of the articles for classroom discussion
Procedures:
1. Have the students read the articles, identifying key information (plays, scoring efforts,
individual team member’s efforts, game statistics, etc.).
2. Define the terms: direct and indirect quote, paraphrase, summary, and synthesis.
3. Ask the students (either as an entire class, in teams, or individually) to focus on one article
and quote a sentence or two from the article. Instruct the students in the correct use of
introductory phrases, quotation marks (single and double –to distinguish quotes within
quotes), punctuation marks with quotation marks (especially commas and periods), and the
importance of accuracy in direct quotations.
Discussion Questions:
•
•
In what kinds of writing is using a direct quotation most effective? (For example, have the
students recognize the value of the speaker’s expertise or effective word choice when using
direct quotations.)
In what kinds of writing is using a paraphrase most effective? (For example, have the
students recognize the value of brevity and simpler word choice when the material is long,
complicated, or overly formal.)
56
Suggested Activity Three:
What Goes Where?
This activity relates to the Michigan Frameworks topic “organizing material effectively.”
Materials:
•
A newspaper or magazine article describing an event. (You may wish to select several
articles or make several copies of one selected article, so that the students can complete
this activity in groups of 3-4 students.)
Prepare the article(s) following these steps:
1. If you find the article through an on-line source, download the article into a word
processing program. If you find the article in a print source, type the article into a word
processing program.
2. Select several complete, sequential paragraphs of the article comprising 15-20 sentences.
Do NOT use the first or last paragraphs from the article. (For example, select paragraphs
2-8 of an article from Newsweek describing the opening of a new museum, totaling 18
sentences.)
3. Space the sentences so each sentence begins on a new line.
4. Change the type size to a minimum of 14 pt. type and the line spacing so at least 2 blank
lines are between each sentence.
5. Print the sentences and cut the paper into strips, with one sentence per strip.
6. Mix the sentence strips so the sentences are not in their original order.
Procedures:
1. Give one of the prepared articles to each group of students, or use an overhead projector
to complete this activity with the entire class.
2. Ask the students to decide in which order the sentences should be placed to “re-form” the
article.
3. Ask the students to identify key content terms, sentence structure elements, and
chronological elements that signaled the logical order. (You may need to direct their
attention to cohesive elements in the grammatical and syntactic structure, such as
conjunctions, pronouns, and adverbs that signal content connections.)
Discussion Questions:
•
•
•
•
When you tell a story, do you always tell it from beginning to ending? Why? Why not?
When you describe a process or teach someone how to do something, what do you tell the
person first? What kind of order/organization do you follow?
If you were to describe your classroom to a new student — a blind student, what would you
describe first? What kind of order/organization would you follow?
Why is the order that you chose for the article’s sentences the most logical one? What kind of
organization pattern did you follow (chronological, step-by-step, spatial, or some other
organization pattern)? Why?
57
Suggested Activity Four:
The Audience Determines the Message
This activity relates to the following Michigan Frameworks topics: (a) learning how to write
effectively to meet the needs of the audience and the requirements of the assignment, and (b)
learning how to edit writing effectively to ensure readability and to meet the conventions of
“standard written English.”
Materials:
Collect several selections from literature or music that are well known to the students, for
example
• balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet
• lyrics to current popular songs (especially ones that tell a story)
• a selection from a book where a character is telling a story (for example, the chapter in
The Hobbit where Gandalf is telling Beorn about their adventures.
Procedures:
1. Ask the students to read the passage and identify as many characteristics that they can of the
text’s author, audience, and medium. (For example, if you were using Romeo and Juliet,
students would describe William Shakespeare, the audience he wrote his plays for, and the
play as a poetic structure expected to be performed in front of an audience by actors.
Similarly, if you’re using a rock or pop song, students should describe the writer and/or artist,
the kinds of people who listen to the music, and the structure of the song. Get the students to
give you as many details of each of the features as possible.)
2. Ask the students to examine the writing closely, looking for clues in the writing which
identify the author – audience – medium features. (For example, the words used in Romeo
and Juliet that help them to identify the piece as being written long ago. The rhyme indicates
that it’s poetic. Some of the 1500s slang and contractions indicate that the audience was not a
formal one. A contemporary song may contain potentially offensive lyrics, slang, profanity,
or vulgarity, which would signal features of the audience, and tell quite a bit about the artist
as well.)
3. Direct the students (either in groups, as a whole class, or individually) to rewrite the passage
by changing one of the three features. (For example, have the passage from Romeo and Juliet
written for a contemporary audience. Or have the contemporary song written as a love letter.)
Discussion Questions:
• How does the medium (the format, the shape) of a piece of writing affect the message it’s
presenting?
• How does the intended audience affect a piece of writing? If you were describing last
weekend’s activities in a letter to your best friend, how would that description differ from one
you’d write to your grandmother about the same activities?
• What would change in those two letters besides the details you would describe? Would your
word choice change? What about your sentence structure? Why? Why not? How would they
change?
• If you had to write a description of that same weekend’s activities in an essay for a school
assignment, what would change? What would be different about the organization, the word
choice, the sentence structure, the content, and the formality between the letters and the
essay?
58
Appendix D
Evaluation Criteria
I.
II.
III.
Oral Presentation
Written Report
Authentic Bridge
59
Spaghetti Bridge Oral Presentation Evaluation
Team Name: __________________________________________________________________
Bridge Name:__________________________________________________________________
Requirements/Minimum 2 speakers--all participants present 20 points total
_____ Length of 6 to 7 minutes
points (4 2 0)
Time recorded _______
Flow
_____ No note cards (not read from PowerPoint)
points (2 0)
_____ Name of bridge
points (2 0)
_____ Location
points (2 0)
_____ Bridge design discussed thoroughly
points (6 4 2 0 )
_____ At least two other issues covered
points (4 2 0)
20 points total
_____ Effective organization, development, detail
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
_____ Clarity of language and meaning
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Persuasive structure & tone
20 points total
_____ Structure
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
_____ Tone
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Creativity
20 points total
_____ Effective presentation, approach to audience
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
_____ Creativity, characterizations and costumes
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Use of visuals, props, multimedia
20 points total
_____ Bridge prop use (required)
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
_____ Multimedia and/or other props
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Total Points: 100
Total Earned_______
60
Spaghetti Bridge Written Report Evaluation
Team Name:________________________________________________________________________________
Bridge Name:_______________________________________________________________________________
Format and Required Components 20 points total
Uses 12-point Times Roman font
points (0
4)
Includes Bridge Construction Proposal cover sheet
points (0
4)
Includes a Works Cited or References page
points (0
4)
Is within the 6-12 page limit
points (0
4)
Contains the required sections (bridge description; bridge dimensions;
and economic, sociological, environmental impact)
points (0
4)
Content Evaluation 56 points total
Assignment/Purpose – reflects the writers’ awareness of the complexities
of the assignment and consistently aims to persuade the designated audience.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Audience – addresses the needs and perspective of the designated audience.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Development – thoroughly addresses and explains ideas in all sections.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Detail/Relevance – provides sufficient specifics to support each general idea;
includes only relevant information and clearly relates it to the report’s overall
purpose and the particular point being made.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Organization – includes logical organization, paragraphing, and transitions.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Source incorporation – incorporates research source information smoothly;
effectively quotes, paraphrases, and summarizes source information.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Documentation – accurately identifies all source information using
MLA or APA in-text citations; Works Cited or References page includes all
sources and is properly formatted.
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Sentence structure (effective sentence structure and lack of sentence errors)
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Diction (appropriate and effective word choice)
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Mechanics (spelling, punctuation, usage)
points (0
2
4
6
8)
Total Points: 100
Points Earned:
Language and Mechanics 24 points total
61
Spaghetti Bridge Authentic Bridge Evaluation
Team Name_____________________________________________________________
Bridge Name____________________________________________________________
Met Rule Specifications 20 points total
_____ Bridge material limited to pasta, sewing thread, unpainted glue
points (12 8 4 0)
_____ Must be modeled on existing or planned bridge
points (4 2 0)
_____ Bridge platform is 24” by 10” maximum
points (4 2 0)
Built to Scale 20 points total
_____ Photo/picture/scheme displayed (required)
points (4 2 0)
_____ Must be reported on 5x7 card/form
points (4 2 0)
_____ Scaled appropriately, as reported
points (12 10 8 6 4 2 0)
Authenticity 20 points total
_____ Accurate scenery/colors as related to reality (may be painted)
_____
Accuracy of bridge as true visual representation
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Creativity of Display 20 points total
_____
Effectiveness of presentation
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
_____
Artistry of Display
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Craftsmanship 20 points total
_____ ________________________________________(fill in)
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
_____ ________________________________________(fill in)
points (10 8 6 4 2 0)
Total Points: 100
Total Earned__________
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Appendix E
Authentic Bridge – Information Card
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Authentic Bridge – Card Information
Clearly complete the following information on a 5x7 card for your authentic bridge display.
NOTE: Present this card to the judges during the authentic bridge evaluation
TEAM NAME__________________________________________________________________
BRIDGE NAME ________________________________________________________________
LOCATION ___________________________________________________________________
YEAR BRIDGE OPENED_______________COST OF BRIDGE_________________________
BRIDGE LENGTH ______________________________________________________________
CONSTRUCTION TYPE_________________________________________________________
MODEL SCALE: One inch = ________________________________
HISTORICAL FACTS (minimum of two)
•
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
•
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES/Positive or Negative (minimum of two)
•
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
•
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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Appendix F
Agenda
65
Draft Agenda
FSU Spaghetti Bridge Competition
Friday (Granger Building, FSU)
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Optional tours of campus sites
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Registration (teams must stay onsite from registration until dinner)
•
Submit written report (3 copies required)
•
Set up authentic bridge, information card, photo/drawing
•
Team photos taken with authentic bridge
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Dinner (Granger Atrium)
•
Discussion of Saturday agenda & rules
•
Mystery design element revealed
6:00 – 6:30 p.m. Load-Bearing Set-up
6:30 – 6:45 p.m. Final directions for construction
6:45 – 8:45 p.m. Construction of load-bearing bridges
Saturday, March 19 (Granger Building, FSU)
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast (Granger Atrium)
9:00 – 1:00 p.m. Judging of written work
•
Judging of authentic bridges, according to grid schedule
•
Team oral presentations, according to grid schedule
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Granger Atrium) Buffet lunch
•
Awards presentation for written, authentic and oral competitions
2:00 – 4:30 (end time approximate) Load-bearing competition
15 minutes after end of Load bearing competition
•
Awards presentation for load-bearing competition and
•
1st, 2nd, 3rd place overall presentations
Departure
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Appendix G
Travel & Parking Directions
Motel Information
67
Directions to Campus
On US 131 from the north:
♦ Take exit 139 at Big Rapids. You will exit right off 131 and then turn left off the ramp onto
Perry Street, going over the expressway.
♦ Travel east on Perry Street (approximately 2 miles), to the 4th traffic light. Stay in the left
hand lane during the last ½ mile to prepare to turn left.
♦ Turn left unto State Street (Northland Drive).
♦ Move into the right hand lane.
♦ Turn right onto Cedar Street and go two blocks to Warren Street.
♦ Turn left onto Warren and continue past Granger Center… to Parking Lot #7.
♦ Turn right into Parking Lot #7 (no tickets will be given after 2 pm on Friday.)
♦ Unload and enter Granger from the north end.
On US 131 from the south:
♦ Take exit 139 at Big Rapids. You will exit right off 131 and right off the ramp onto Perry St.
♦ Travel east on Perry Street (approximately 2 miles), to the 4th traffic light. Stay in the left
hand lane during the last ½ mile to prepare to turn left.
♦ Turn left unto State Street (Northland Drive).
♦ Move into the right hand lane.
♦ Turn right onto Cedar Street and go two blocks to Warren Street.
♦ Turn left onto Warren and continue past Granger Center… to Parking Lot #7.
♦ Turn right into Parking Lot #7 (no tickets will be given after 2 pm on Friday.)
♦ Unload and enter Granger from the north end.
On M-20 from the East
♦ From Mt. Pleasant, follow M-20 west to Big Rapids.
♦ Turn left onto Maple St
♦ Turn left onto Warren Ave and continue south past Oak St.
♦ Pull into parking lot #7 on your left (no tickets will be issued after 2 pm on Friday.)
♦ Unload and come in through the north end of Granger Center.
On M-20 from the West
♦ In Big Rapids, M-20 becomes Perry Street.
♦ After crossing the 131 expressway, travel east on Perry Street (approximately 2 miles), to the
4th traffic light. Stay in the left hand lane during the last ½ mile in preparation to turn left.
♦ Turn left unto State Street (Northland Drive).
♦ Move into the right hand lane.
♦ Turn right onto Cedar Street and go two blocks to Warren Street.
♦ Turn left onto Warren and continue past Granger Center… to Parking Lot #7.
♦ Turn right into Parking Lot #7 (no tickets will be given after 2 pm on Friday.)
♦ Unload and enter Granger from the north end.
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Motels in Big Rapids
Please let us know of your plans for motel reservations as soon as possible. All four of the
following hotels are near the campus.
Holiday Inn
1005 Perry Street
Big Rapids, Mi 49307
Phone: 231-796-4400
indoor pool
restaurant
Super 8 Motel
845 Water Tower Rd
Big Rapids, Mi 49307
Phone: 231-796-1588
indoor pool
continental breakfast
Quality Inn & Suites
Northland Drive
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Phone: 231-592-5150
continental breakfast
Country Inn & Suites
15344 Waldron Way
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Phone: 231-527-9000
indoor pool
continental breakfast
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