Design Build: Exploring the Fundamental Requirements of Structural Design [Pdf]

In this lesson plan unit from the Science Teachers' Association of Ontario (STAO), students fold paper to explore the properties and shapes of materials that give structures their stability and strength. They record their ideas as they progress through the unit and test the strength of their paper platforms to see how many people can stand on top of them without causing them to collapse. They then use these panels to build a structure. Includes lots of ideas for integrating this unit with geometry.