The Toothpick Bridge Project, a beloved Faith Christian School tradition since Mr. Painter introduced it, showcases student creativity while offering a fun way to apply geometry as well as bringing the FCS community together in support.

When are we going to build the bridges? That is a common question coming from rising ninth graders.  The Toothpick Bridge Project has been a favorite event at Faith Christian School since Mr. Painter introduced it to his geometry class. Since its inception, the event has highlighted the creativity and insight of the students at this school. What about it makes it special? 

The bridge project provides the opportunity to have students engage in the engineering process.  Students research and study bridges, examining how forces are distributed. Over the last two years, the school has been blessed to have a VDOT engineer share his expertise on engineering bridges. Students present their research in a written paper articulating what they learned that will apply to their bridges.  The next step is building a prototype. This step not only gives students a chance to check designs but also to learn how to fabricate a bridge with wet glue and toothpicks.  

Armed with knowledge, the students design and build their bridges.  Constraints on the student engineers make it more realistic. Length and height are mandated to mirror existing physical limitations real-world engineers face. A "budget" limits the amount of toothpicks and glue student engineers can use, mirroring real-life budget constraints.

Then comes the event that delights everyone—the testing!  Students nervously apply ever-increasing weight to determine if their bridge will meet the weight requirement and beat the strength of their classmates. Students from other classes come to watch, cheering on their friends in what becomes a carnival atmosphere.  

Even after the toothpicks have splintered and cracked, there is still work to be done.  At Faith Christian School, we have found that reflection is essential to the learning process.  This is an indispensable life skill enabling image-bearers to rejoice in success and develop what can be improved. An interesting result is that often the students with the weakest bridges produce the most profound learning outcomes.  

So back to the original questions: Why is this event special? It is a fun challenge to students to apply geometry concepts to the real world.  It also provides an opportunity for the community to come together and cheer for the efforts of those taking part in what has become a tradition.

Students learn the engineering process, but the lessons go beyond that. Students realize how shape affects strength, how distance affects design, and how angle affects the distribution of forces. In The City of God, Augustine writes, “Neither has it been without reason numbered among God’s praises, ‘Thou has ordered all things in number, and measure, and weight.’”  As image bearers, our students engage in the bridge project so they can rejoice in the work of ordering things by measure, number, and weight.

- By Carl Meunch, Faculty
   Science & Mathematics