TUNNEL HILL, Ga. - There were two kinds of tension at work on Bridge Day at Tunnel Hill Elementary School: The kind stressing fifth-graders Mallory Mitchell's and Kensley Fisher's Popsicle bridge and the kind that made them squeal with anticipation as it supported 225 pounds.
The girls' bridge was one of 10 built by fourth- and fifth-graders at Tunnel Hill over the last few weeks, part of the school's project-based approach to learning, according to gifted teacher Jennifer Leaderer, a five-year veteran of Tunnel Hill.
"Our culminating activity was making a Popsicle-stick bridge, using their own design," said Leaderer, who was an environmental engineer before becoming a teacher.
Other activities included a quiz bowl, an edible-bridge building contest, historic bridge presentation and a bridge strength contest. Mallory and Kensley's bridge won the strength prize.
Project-based learning, a teaching approach that combines hands-on and traditional textbook learning, unites math, geometry and history in projects to demonstrate students' knowledge, Leaderer said. All the Bridge Day participants are in the Alpha program, the school's gifted curriculum.
"At our school, and especially in the Alpha program, project-based learning fits so well into our curriculum because kids learn best through hands-on projects," she said.
For the project, students researched historic bridges and their designs, types of bridges, materials used in bridges, forces exerted on them and forces that can damage and destroy them, she said.
"One of the best things this project taught the kids is how to be a researcher," she said.
Mothers Paige Rann and Stacy Mitchell - two of more than 20 parents who attended the event Friday - said the project got their children excited about learning.
"I think it's a great learning experience for the kids," Rann said. "They've certainly had a good time preparing for the quiz bowl."
Rann's daughter, Cara, said bridge research "is one of the best projects you can do. It's neat to learn history and have fun at the same time."
The truss bridge built by Mallory and Kensley held 200-pound dad Len Jackson and a 25-pound weight in his hand without collapsing.
Fathers Howard Gale and Tracy Mardis praised the lessons learned in the project.
Mardis said employers seek workers who have the skills to solve problems as a group. The project encouraged students to team up on a common goal, he said.
Gale said hands-on learning is the way to go.
"It's fun to be able to use what you've learned and apply it and relate it to real life, tangible things."
The "fun" element is key to the project's success, fifth-grader Matt Cates said.
"It's a good way to create and let out your ideas," he said. "It's kind of got fun on one side and it's got education on the other."