This video is an informative and exciting look at the basics of engineering. One of the best ways to learn how something works is to examine it when it didn’t work and discuss why it failed. This idea is demonstrated by a secondary school class that builds models of bridges from balsa wood. The forces that work against real structures, such as live loads, people and cars, dead loads, the weight of the structure itself, and stress from weather, are simulated in the classroom. They learn many different stresses that structures endure and how to control those stresses with structural design. An examination of various bridge structures, like a beam bridge, an arch bridge, and a tension bridge, illustrates which designs are most appropriate for specific stresses. The best model bridges are determined when they are tested for their strength against the forces. A must for those interested in design and engineering. One 19-minute video. A Shopware Production.