Throughout the STEAM-day, differentiation is embedded in the learning process so that all students can participate meaningfully, regardless of prior experience or confidence level. Rather than separating learners by ability, the activity offers flexible entry points and varying depths of engagement, allowing students to progress at their own pace within mixed-ability teams. Students may move between levels depending on the task, their role within the group, or their growing confidence.
- Beginners: Students receive structured support to understand the core idea of stability and self-supporting structures. Visual cues and simplified planning aids guide their thinking. Roles such as observer, recorder, or safety lead allow meaningful participation without the pressure of leading construction. The focus is on exploring one clear improvement at a time, supporting success through small, manageable design changes.
- Advanced learners: Students take an active role in building and redesigning the bridge. They typically create an initial prototype and a revised version, using observations and simple measurements to explain why certain elements worked or failed. Learners articulate cause–effect relationships in their own words and make collaborative decisions based on evidence gathered during testing.
- Experts: Students engage in deeper exploration by proposing alternative design variations and testing changes systematically, keeping some variables constant while modifying others. They compare results, identify patterns, and connect their designs to real-world bridges or historical structures inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. During the outdoor build, they also consider scale and environmental conditions, demonstrating the ability to transfer learning from classroom models to real-life contexts.
Across all levels, participation is equally valued. The emphasis remains on thoughtful engagement, collaboration, and learning through experimentation rather than on achieving a single “advanced” outcome.