Year: 2018

Suspended by only thick steel cords connected to two towers, the Golden Gate Bridge spans almost 9,000 feet. That’s nearly two miles long— a bridge, dangling in the air, that’s somehow remained standing for almost 100 years. It’s San Francisco’s most iconic landmark, and at the time it was built, funding and completing it was a daunting feat. Even today, the Golden Gate Bridge is a mystery to most. But do not fear— Girlstart has come to the rescue to dispel the science behind this modern-day mystery!

For the girls at Carver Elementary, bridges were a simple concept. Beam bridges are supported by giant abutments that stick in the ground; arch bridges are similar. They both are held up just like the tables you sit at everyday— they feature a surface and obvious supports underneath it.

When the girls looked at a photo of the famous Golden Gate bridge, it looks like it’s operating under the same basic rules as arch and beam bridges. It features two towers anchored to the land, so they’ve got to be holding the bridge up, right? Well, kind of. The towers support the steel cords, but not the actual floor of the bridge. After a round of contemplation, the Carver girls decided that the towers also help prevent the bridge from swaying in the wind. It is a hanging bridge, after all.

Wheels were turning in the Carver girls’ minds. They kind of understood suspension bridges, but they couldn’t fully until it was their turn. The girls received toilet paper tubes, tape, string, and a piece of paper to be the road. The string needed to be the perfect length to provide the right amount of tension to support the bridge, and the towers had to be just the right height. With plenty of trial and error, the girls each had their own miniature suspension bridges that they raced toy cars along.

The Golden Gate Bridge will always be a wonder. It’s massive, it’s expensive, and it crosses a very windy valley. But for the girls of Girlstart, it’s no longer a complete mystery. I guess you could say Girlstart really “bridged” the gap this week.

This week at Girlstart, the girls took another shot at designing a vehicle. These “coffee cup drag race cars” were meant to go farther and faster than last week’s vehicles. The girls soon realized that while quicker and more durable vehicles are better, they’re also more difficult to produce.

Across the classroom at Pecan Springs Elementary, students carried a mix of frustration and determination as they tried to create a rubber band powered coffee cup car. De’Erica struggled to pull the rubber band through her cups.

“Experimentation is just a lot of failed attempts” Eugena, a Girlstart STEM crew member, told De’Erica.

Then it clicked. First, tape the cups, then deal with the rubber bands. De’Erica quickly assembled the car then placed it on the ground. It steadily trekked across the tile floor as the rubber band inside unwound itself.

“You’re like an engineer,” Eugena said with a smile. “Scientists have to go through a lot of trials in order to get their experiments to work.”

On this day, De’Erica learned failed attempts make successes that much more magical. Excited, she ran to show the other students her car’s power.