What do students know about bridges? They know they’re strong because of the weight they hold, and they know they typically see them over a body of water. But what goes beyond that? There’s a world of things to teach your students about bridges, and it all starts here.
History of Bridges
The history of bridges is extensive. It dates all the way back to Mesopotamia times, and that’s something to marvel at. Blow your students away with a lesson on that civilization and get them to wrap their minds around the fact that these people didn’t have the advancements of modern technology we have today.
The mind is a powerful thing, and these inventors saw the potential of the materials needed to make bridges and created mathematical magic. They may have been simple structures built from logs, stone, and dirt, but these were the building blocks. From these efforts, the world now has phenomena like The Golden Gate Bridge.
Most Impressive Bridges
Give your students a lesson on some of the most impressive and famous bridges around. That beauty in San Francisco obviously makes the cut, but there’s more than that. You can even turn this lesson into a project.
Instead of lecturing them on the most famous bridges, assign them one to do research and a report on. It could be a group activity. They’ll learn the history of their famous bridge, and they could even try to replicate it. It’ll take some trial and error, but the finale will be epic.
Bridge Mathematics
With designs this intricate, there has to be some math involved. To replicate bridges or create their own designs, students need to know the math behind the magic.
Teach them everything they need to know about the bridge formula. The formula itself may seem complicated, but it’s a crucial part of the construction process. Engineers must use this formula before building anything for the safety of everyone who comes in contact with the bridge.
Bridge Failures
Sadly, many bridges have succumbed to their wounds, and there were some casualties in the process. It’s an unfortunate lesson but also a vital one. Students need to know about the dangers of bridge failure so that they proceed with caution.
Furthermore, if you happen to be teaching a new line of future engineers, this will be a lesson they learn in further detail as their education advances. Bridges are structures that need to withstand incredible external forces and last decades. Here, students will learn what went wrong and what not to do.
Make the next lesson about bridges you teach your students one that they always remember.
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