Bridges: Lesson Plans & Other Activities

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco CA

The following are designed to be stand-alone lesson plans or they can be combined to present a unit about bridges to students.

• • Bridge Building Challenge:  Students teams can design and build a bridge in response to a variety of challenges, using a variety of materials.  Through this challenge the students explore the ways that different shapes and materials impact the overall success of their design.
  • 2D to 3D Truss Bridge Challenge: Students will be able to look at a 2-Dimensional drawing of a truss bridge and construct a 3-Dimensional, preferably, freestanding structure that successfully meets the proposed constraints [it is not as easy as it sounds!].
  • Bridges: the Life Cycle of an Infrastructure Project: Students will explore the various stages that are involved in the creation of a bridge, including Project Initiation, Project Planning, Project Execution and Project Closeout.