Grade 8 · Year 3Teacher Resource

Bridge Designers

Statement of Inquiry: To be added from the G8 unit plan.

Students apply structural principles to design and build a bridge from limited materials that must span a set distance and support a specified load. The unit develops understanding of forces, material properties, and structural systems alongside the full MYP design cycle.

Bridge build project 4 summative assessments (A–D) Suggested lesson sequence included

The unit moves through the four MYP design criteria in order, with each criterion assessed by its own summative task. The lesson sequence shown on this page is a suggestion, not a hard requirement — adjust pacing to fit the class. Phase details will be completed when the G8 unit documents are available.

PhaseFocusSuggested Classes
Skills TrainingStructural principles, forces & construction techniquesTBD
Criterion A — Inquiring & AnalysingResearch taskTBD
Criterion B — Developing IdeasPlanning: success criteria, inspiration, rough drafts, specificationsTBD
Criterion C — Creating the SolutionBuilding the bridge, daily documentation, final deliverablesTBD
Criterion D — EvaluatingTesting, feedback, success criteria review, improvementsTBD
Final RevisionsIncorporate feedback and complete the design cycleTBD

Unit OverviewStudents follow the complete design cycle to design and build a bridge from limited materials that spans a set distance and supports a specified load: researching bridge types and structural systems, planning with success criteria and specifications, building and documenting the bridge, and evaluating the result with load testing and feedback.

Key Concept, Related Concepts & Global Context

Key ConceptRelated ConceptsGlobal Context
To be added from the G8 unit plan.To be added from the G8 unit plan.To be added from the G8 unit plan.

Inquiry Questions

TypeQuestion
FactualTo be added from the G8 unit plan.
ConceptualTo be added from the G8 unit plan.
DebatableTo be added from the G8 unit plan.

ATL Skills in Focus

ATL skills in focus will be added from the G8 unit plan.

Where to Submit

  • Criterion Ato be added.
  • Criterion Bto be added.
  • Criterion Cto be added.
  • Criterion Dto be added.

Suggested Lessons — Skills Training

Pacing is a suggestion, not a hard requirement. Lessons will be added from the G8 unit plan.

Skills training lessons to be added

Lesson details will be added when the G8 unit documents are available.

Students research bridge types and structural systems, analyse existing solutions, and establish design requirements including load, span and material constraints. Section details will be completed when the G8 task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details and the task-specific rubric will be added when the G8 Criterion A task sheet is available.

A suggested sequence — adjust pacing as needed.

Lessons to be added

Lesson details will be added when the G8 unit documents are available.

Students create a design specification with measurable success criteria, generate annotated structural designs, and select a preferred design with reference to engineering principles. Task details will be completed when the G8 task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion B task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion B task sheet is available. Success criteria carry forward: they steer the build in Criterion C and are the basis of the evaluation in Criterion D.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion B task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion B task sheet is available. Rough drafts are exploration — in Criterion C, students start the final build fresh; the drafts show where the project began.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion B task sheet is available.

The B1–B4 task-specific clarifications (1–2 / 3–4 / 5–6 / 7–8 bands) will be added when the G8 Criterion B task sheet is available.

A suggested sequence — adjust pacing as needed.

Lessons to be added

Lesson details will be added when the G8 unit documents are available.

Students construct the bridge following their plan, document changes and challenges encountered, and record evidence of construction skills and problem-solving. Section details will be completed when the G8 task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion C task sheet is available. Success criteria from the Criterion B planning assessment carry over — they steer every decision during the build.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion C task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion C task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion C task sheet is available.

The Criterion C task-specific clarifications (1–2 / 3–4 / 5–6 / 7–8 bands) will be added when the G8 task sheet is available.

A suggested sequence — adjust pacing as needed.

Lessons to be added

Lesson details will be added when the G8 unit documents are available.

Students test the bridge under load, evaluate results against the specification, reflect on structural decisions, and propose modifications to improve performance. Section details will be completed when the G8 task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion D task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion D task sheet is available. Expected to mirror earlier years: restate each success criterion from Criterion B and respond with details and reasons.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion D task sheet is available.

RequirementTask details will be added when the G8 Criterion D task sheet is available.

The Criterion D task-specific clarifications (1–2 / 3–4 / 5–6 / 7–8 bands) will be added when the G8 task sheet is available.

A suggested sequence — adjust pacing as needed.

Lessons to be added

Lesson details will be added when the G8 unit documents are available.

Downloads

Files
Unit Files & Templates
Download links coming soon
Reference files for the G8 unit — to be added with the G8 documents.

Images

Images · Gallery
Example Bridge Images
Gallery coming soon
Example bridges and structural details — to be added with the G8 documents.

External Sites

Research
Research & Inspiration Sites
Links coming soon
External research and inspiration sites — to be added with the G8 documents.

Policies

  • Unit policies (e.g., AI use) will be added from the G8 unit plan.