For Immediate Release: July 13, 2006
Media Contacts: Emma Filar, Marketing & Communications Associate
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Bridge Basics: News Release
Bridge Basics Program Kit Has Students “Engineering Ideas” Nationwide
WASHINGTON, DC—For the first time in its history, the National Building Museum is making available one of its highly-acclaimed, award-winning education programs as a comprehensive curriculum for nationwide classroom use. Developed by the Museum in partnership with the Construction Industry Round Table, the innovative, multi media Bridge Basics Program Kit introduces students to the fields of design, engineering, and construction through bridges. With lesson plans, a computer interactive, and hands-on activities, the curriculum teaches the fundamentals of structural engineering while fostering critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills required for life.
The Bridge Basics Program Kit is a complete, portable version of the Bridge Basics program the National Building Museum has successfully conducted for more than 15 years. It teaches students about the different types of bridges, how they are designed and built, why they work, and how they connect our world.
"With Bridge Basics, students are learning about bridges. But they're also learning how to communicate, how to resolve issues, how to problem solve, and eventually how to become better citizens engaged in the world around them," says Ann Lambson, director of youth education at the Museum and the lead developer of the kit.
The kitis entirely ready to use, and includes a CD-ROM with an interactive activity, lesson plans, worksheets, posters, model construction materials, and other resources. Already being integrated into after school learning, the ACE Mentor Program—an organization teaching high school students about architecture, construction, and engineering—will be using 50 kits donated by the Construction Industry Round Table. The kit has 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.
Kits cost $110 each and are available through the National Building Museum Shop or by calling 202.272.7706. Kits are ideal for educators, and also for schools, industry professionals, and educational organizations looking to engage students in alternative learning opportunities. The inter-disciplinary curriculum is ideal for fifth through ninth grade and meets national standards of learning in six areas: language arts, math, science, social studies, technology, and visual arts.
The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.
