Building bridges: Kasson-Mantorville students get 'immersive' taste of engineering

Jordan Shearer, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
·2 min read

Nov. 25—KASSON — Students at Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School on Tuesday were given a handful of pieces of steel and a set of directions: build a bridge.

According to the Southeast Service Cooperative, the project is part of a year of "immersive experience" for the second-grade class, during which the students will get to learn from real professionals about various kinds of work. On Tuesday, they began learning about bridges from the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

"The elementary years are not too soon for students to discover different careers," KM Superintendent Mark Matuska said. "We are excited when students have the opportunity for hands-on experiences that are guided by industry professionals."

The students were given different roles: safety inspector, parts supplier, and so on. Together, they had to construct a 6-foot version of a truss bridge.

During a break, MnDOT project estimator Sam Muench told the students about the different types of bridges around the world: suspension bridges, truss bridges, lift bridges, and even more.

There's a bridge near Virginia, Minn., he said, that is 194 feet high.

"Holy cheese!" a student exclaimed.

Muench started to talk about one of the longest bridges in Minnesota, located in Duluth.

"It's a mile and a half long," he said. "You could drive forever to get over that bridge, right?"

"I've been to Duluth!" another student offered up.

Building bridges with @MnDOT at Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School pic.twitter.com/q4dmN8XToU

— Jordan Shearer (@Jmanassa) November 23, 2021

When all the pieces were assembled — when all the bolts had been tightened and checked — the second-graders got to try out their handiwork. As a team, they lifted the bridge, resting each end on a pair of desks. And then, one at a time, they crawled across it.

Cindy Morgan, MnDOT public engagement coordinator, said the project helps students develop teamworking skills.

"We're really happy to be able to do it again," Morgan said about working with students in the schools. "Simply by introducing some of these terms — like 'force of gravity' and the fact that shapes have strength — really helps set up that early learning and understanding for later."