Bridge Basics Program Kit
“Engineering Ideas” for The Future
The Museum is bringing its engaging, hands-on Bridge Basics program directly to educators and students for classroom use.
Bridge Basics uses bridge engineering and design as vehicles for exploring and solving problems, and helps students “engineer ideas.” Students learn about fundamental structural engineering concepts and five basic types of bridges. They also get to design, construct, and test model bridges using playing cards and other materials.
For more than 15 years, Bridge Basics successfully inspired thousands of students who’ve completed the program at the Museum.
Now, educators can deliver the same program on their own using the field-tested Bridge Basics Program Kit. It’s perfect for classroom use, after school programs, camps, and other educational settings. Using the kit, educators lead students in becoming engineers as they in teams to build model bridges. The building challenges aim to solve transportation problems while balancing issues of aesthetics, geography, materials, and cost.
The kit is already being integrated into after school learning by the ACE Mentor Program. It also received early praise by winning an honorable mention in the educational resources category in the 2006 Museum Publications Design Competition of the American Association of Museums.
The kit comes ready to use, complete with a CD-ROM, foundation lessons, posters, worksheets, bridge construction materials, and other resources. The curriculum is ideal for grades five through nine and is interdisciplinary. It meets national standards of learning in six areas: language arts, math, science, social studies, technology, and visual arts.
Order Now!
Purchase the kit online from the Museum Shop.
Kit Contents
Curriculum Plan
- Educator orientation for organizing lesson plans and units through flexible combinations
- Seven lesson plans and worksheets
- Supplementary resources, including vocabulary, books, web sites, videos, and organizations
- Basic explanation of engineering principles and five bridge types
Bridge Basics Progam Kit
Photo by F.T. Eyre
Teaching Tools
- CD-ROM Bridging the Gap: interactive computer program that gives students a chance to solve transportation problems by selecting appropriate bridge designs for different scenarios
- PDFs of student worksheets and information sheets, instructions for Card Bridge Models, and "5 Bridge Type" Posters
- Full-color instruction cards for building basic card bridge models of five bridge types
- Bridge Posters: each measuring 11 x 17” and showing examples of one of the bridge types
- Triangle and square to demonstrate the strength of building structures
- Model-making materials: 5 sets of cards, 1/2” brass fasteners, 100’ string
In the Museum Shop
Innovative teaching aids are also available in the Museum Shop. Proceeds help support education programs. Teachers and museum members deduct 10%. To request a list of resources or information on bulk orders and quantity discounts, or for more information, contact the Museum Shop at 202.272.7706.
Sponsors
Bridge Basics is sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development in D.C. and by the Turner Construction Company in Philadelphia. The program was developed with support from the Construction Industry Round Table.
