The Drawbridge

Pedagogical guidelines and construction instructions

The #AutoSTEM #Drawbridge is a toy bridge that can be raised to permit passage of a ship having masts too tall to pass under or to defend the entrance of a medieval castle. It is made from double-wall corrugated cardboard (from a big parcel), a wooden skewer, and rope. The toy can be used by the children in many ways and opens up several subject areas for further learning. Moving bridges are very motivating and exciting toys for children. It is fun for the children to be allowed to play with their drawbridges, once they have made them.

Learning goals

When constructing the Drawbridge several learning goals can be achieved:

  • To learn about physics and mechanisms
  • To develop engineering competencies of analysis and construction.
  • To learn mathematical concepts within the construction and assembly process, including shapes and numbers.
  • To practice measuring
  • Other soft-learning goals can be included; problem solving and creativity.

This video explains how to build the Drawbridge.

Instructions
How to construct the Drawbridge English

Il ponte levatoio – Scarica le istruzioni in italiano

Ponte levadiça – Download the step by step guide in Portuguese here

Veiledning til konstruksjon og didaktisk bruk av vindelbroa kan lastes ned på norsk her

Подвижен мост – Инструкции за изработка

Video tutorial (see above)