Bridge & Construction Lesson Plans (California Version)

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Bridge & Construction Lesson Plans

Humans have been building bridges for thousands of years. Bridges of all kinds help us cross barriers like rivers, valleys, and anything else blocking the path from one place to another. Bridges can be as simple as a plank of wood, or they can be complex feats of engineering like the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge, which is crossed more than 40 million times each year. These lessons are designed to engage students with fun bridge-themed activities that meet the California Common Core standards and get them excited about science, math, and engineering!
 
Grade Level   Download Links
 
Grades 1-2
Grades 1-2
 
California Common Core Standards
ELA/Literacy
  • RL.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
  • W.2.3: Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
  • SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Math
  • 2.OA.B.2: Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies.
  • 2.G.A.1: Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.
  • 2.MD.A.3: Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
Next Generation Science Standards
Science
  • 2-PS1-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.
  • 2-PS1-3: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.
  
 
​Lecture Slides
 
Activity Handouts
Activity 1 - All About Bridges 
Activity 3 - Bridge Math
Activity 4 - Build a Bridge
     
Grades 3-4
Grades 3-4
 
California Common Core Standards
ELA/Literacy
  • RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Math
  • 3.OA.A: Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division within 100.
  • 3.G.A: Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.
  • 4.MD.A: Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.
  • 4.G.A: Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.
Next Generation Science Standards
Science
  • 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
  • 3-5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  
Lecture Slides
 
Activity Handouts
Activity 1 - Bridge History & Design
Activity 2 - Bridge Parts
Activity 3 - Bridge Math
     
Grades 5-6
Grades 5-6
 
California Common Core Standards
ELA/Literacy
  • RI.5.3: Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
  • RI.6.7: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
  • L.6.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Math
  • 5.MD.A.1: Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
Next Generation Science Standards
Science
  • 3–5-ETS1-2: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem
  • MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  
Lecture Slides
 
Activity Handouts
Activity 1 - Bridge History & Design
Activity 2 - Bridge Math

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