“Science classes don’t teach real science. They usually teach you how to solve a problem using the tools the teachers have given you. That isn’t real science; science is about answering questions that don’t have answers and coming up with new ways to answer them,” said Haidyn Estes, a junior in George Stimson’s Physics one class.

In order to give a glimpse into the true world of science, Stimson designed the bridge competition, a project in which his students design and build balsa wood bridges and whoever’s bridge is able to hold the most weight wins.

“[Students] don’t experience what real science in school, so I wanted to provide that opportunity to my students. Building and designing a bridge will force them to think about how to solve a problem on their own,” said Stimson.

After weeks building their bridges, Stimson’s physics students put their bridges to the test last month. They set up using a bucket and a water pump to accurately measure the weight the bridges could hold, and when they were ready the water pump’s switch was flipped. “We watched as the bucket filled, and just hoped it lasted until the water reached 20 pound mark,” said John Petras, a senior in Stimson’s physics class.

When the final bridge broke, several bridges were left standing while the others were scattered across the floor in pieces. The students then cleaned up the remains and went back to their seats.

“I’m not sure if I really learned what true science was like, but I know I learned to not procrastinate and the experience,” said Petras.

Estes said that the project didn’t feel like the traditional classroom science, but it was more interesting and fulfilling than any other science he had done before.

“I really liked doing this project. I put a lot of time into designing and building my bridge to make sure it could hold as much weight as possible… I like this kind of science a lot more than just memorizing formulas and facts,” said Taylor Bieber, a senior that’s currently taking Stimson’s Physics One Class.