This project is for a team of students (groups of two or three are ideal) to design and construct a model of a single-span bridge, using plastic drinking straws as the building material. All steps of the design, construction, testing and critiquing stages should be recorded by students in a journal. Students may like to include labelled diagrams, tables, graphs, photos etc. It is important for student learning that opportunities are provided for cooperative learning, which is a significant aspect of engineering and scientific work. This activity is structured with the intention that students work in teams using a collaborative approach. It is recommended that each team member is assigned a particular role and that roles are rotated regularly.