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Activity
PBS

Pbs Building Big: The Labs

For Students 3rd - 8th
An interactive series of labs describing some basic principles of Physics. The labs demonstrate different basic concepts of physics used in building and creating large structures such as bridges, domes, skyscrapers, dams, and tunnels.
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Lesson Plan
University of South Florida

Fcat: Spaghetti Bridges: Teacher Notes

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Students build bridges and test their strength to collect data and write an equation. The concept of slope is explored in this activity.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Cost Comparisons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about the many types of expenses associated with building a bridge. Working like engineers, they estimate the cost for materials for a bridge member of varying sizes. After making calculations, they graph their results to...
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Unit Plan
PBS

Wgbh: Building Big: Tunnels

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of resources about tunnels that includes basic facts about tunnels, challenges faced by tunnel diggers, famous tunnels from around the world, and a lab that helps you understand the kinds of forces that keep tunnels from...
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Handout
Other

Pghbridges: Bridge Basics

For Students 9th - 10th
Site defines four main factors (span, material, placement of the travel surface in relation to structure, and form) that should be considered when designing a bridge.
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Website
PBS

Pbs Building Big: The Brooklyn Bridge

For Students 9th - 10th
A history of the construction and some general facts on the Brooklyn Bridge are found at this website. Not incredibly detailed, but a good reference for information.
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Graphic
Other

Building Mighty Mac

For Students 3rd - 5th
This resource highlights the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, a famous landmark in Michigan.
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Graphic
Other

Building Mighty Mac

For Students 3rd - 5th
This resource highlights the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, a famous landmark in Michigan.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Keeping You in Suspens(ion)

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out the different strengths of two types of bridges, beam and suspension, by building your own. This Science Buddies science project gives you the means to find out. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Show Me the Money

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars learn about the major factors that comprise the design and construction cost of a modern bridge. Before a bridge design is completed, engineers provide overall cost estimates for construction of the bridge. Students learn...
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Interactive
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Web Japan: Japan Atlas Architecture

For Students 9th - 10th
An image and detailed description of the bridge and its construction.
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Unit Plan
Museum of the Moving Image

Museum of the Moving Image: 1996 Clinton vs. Dole

For Students 9th - 10th
View presidential campaign advertisement from the 1996 election that included the slogans "Building a Bridge to the 21st Century" and A Better Man for a Better America". Features video clips, information about the candidates, and...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Does It Work? Test and Test Again

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Testing is critical to any design, whether it be in the creation of new software or building a bridge across a wide river. Despite risking the quality of the design, the testing stage is often hurried in order to get products to market....
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Article
Library of Congress

Loc: Research Guides: Legal Research: A Guide to Administrative Law

For Students 9th - 10th
This guide provides a good overview of the role of administrative law in American life, governing "building a bridge to baking a bundt (and everything in between). It includes links to the Federal Register, which is a record of federal...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Truss Destruction

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students work within constraints to construct model trusses and then test them to failure as a way to evaluate the relative strength of different truss configurations and construction styles. Each student group uses Popsicle sticks and...
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Boom Construction

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Student teams design their own booms (bridges) and engage in a friendly competition with other teams to test their designs. Each team strives to design a boom that is light, can hold a certain amount of weight, and is affordable to...
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Design Process: Creating a Stronger Truss

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an interesting project that explores which geometrical shapes make the strongest bridge truss structures. It is a good introduction to the engineering design process. You'll design three different trusses, and use online...
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Interactive
PBS

Pbs: Sesame Street: Science

For Students Pre-K - 1st
A collection of interactives, videos, and documents on a variety science concepts.
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Unit Plan
Other

Thales: Estructuras

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about structures, the types of resistant structures, the basic elements of the structure and bridges. It contains several interactive exercises.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Pghbridges: Bridge Basics:deck Truss

For Students 9th - 10th
Illustration of bridge using a deck truss.
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Activity
Technovation

Technovation Families (Formerly Curiosity Machine)

For Students 9th - 10th
Technovation provides hands-on STEM activities. Students will watch an inspiring video about suspension bridges. Studentswill create their own bridge that must support at least 15 pennies.
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Lesson Plan
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The Math Forum: Seventh Grade Mathematics: Data Sense

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This site has some interesting ways to collect and evaluate data. There are some activities about note taking, spreadsheets, surveys, and a cool bridge construction project. Teachers may want to use this site as a resource for some...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Strength of Materials

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about the variety of materials used by engineers in the design and construction of modern bridges. They also find out about the material properties important to bridge construction and consider the advantages and...
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Lesson Plan
Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College: Mqed: Forces and Forms in Large Structures

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The downloadable monograph investigates forces and forms in large structures. Three teaching units are included that explore bridge engineering.

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