How often do you get to break things in school….and get marks for it?  Grade 8 recently got that chance as they began their Technology Exploratory.  The class is working on a series of modules for the next ten weeks.  The first module “Stir-Stick Bridges”, requires the students to research the features of bridge construction that make them stable and able to withstand the weight of thousands of kilograms of vehicle passing over them daily.  They are then required to design and build a bridge using only wooden stir-sticks and white glue. The bridge must span a certain distance and is tested to failure.  Designs with high load/mass ratios score better than designs with low ratios. Several designs did not fare that well, collapsing almost immediately.  One very light bridge (175g) held almost 10kg,  almost triple the mass of its closest competitor!  Students took great pleasure in loading the mass onto their bridges until they crashed to the table. Future modules will include Mousetrap Racers & Animation.  Two final modules will teach the students the basics of programming using two pieces of software, Story Telling Alice and Kodu.  The class is looking forward to using a program called Kodu in the final module. Kodu is a program distributed by Microsoft free to schools that allows students to program their own XBox 360 games.