Lesson 1: Introduction to Bridges

Unit: Bridges

Textbook references:

Learning objectives:

     -Students will understand fundamentals of bridge building

Key Questions, Concepts, or Themes:

 - How are bridges built?

 - What are traditional designs for bridges?

 - How does a bridge support weight? 

Stage 1:

     Introduction of new unit - Bridge Building (Civil Engineering)

Stage 2:

      Presentation on types of bridges and how they manage forces. 

 Teacher Presentation with notes and pauses - http://docs.google.com/a/columbiasecondary.org/Presentation?id=dckdkjkw_0dg96tpf9

Student Presentation for reference after the lesson - http://docs.google.com/a/columbiasecondary.org/Presentation?id=dckdkjkw_22gth5b2hb

Stage 3:

      Student Activity on exploration of structural stability.  The outline of this activity is included in the presentation.  The idea is to have students build rough bridges using only index cards and masking tape.  The goal of the activity is to challenge students to use their creative abilities to make a bridge with an extremely limited amount of resources.  They will graduate from this activity to a more comprehensive bridge design that involves building a bridge with some limits on the resources available, but more materials than this.

Homework:

None 

Assessments: (attach/link copies)

__ Group assessment

__ Observation of process/student work

__ Self-assessment by student

__ Teacher generated assignment

__ Written project

__ Test/Quiz

 X Other: __Evaluate Activity Results___