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Lesson Plans & Curriculum Kits

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In Our Shop Bridge Basics Program Kit $110.00

 

Bridge Basics Program Kit (Grades 5-9)

Youth “Engineering Ideas” for The Future

For the first time, 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 has 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 and working in teams to build model bridges that 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 is entirely 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 fully inter-disciplinary. It meets national standards of learning in six areas: language arts, math, science, social studies, technology, and visual arts.

Order Now! Buy the kit online from the Museum Shop. Please email bridgebasics@nbm.org with questions.

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

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 11x17” 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

 

Educator Resource Packets

Most school programs at the Museum include a complimentary education resource packet with registration. Selected packets are downloadable from this site:

• Patterns Here, There, and Everywhere
• City By Design 
• Fuller's Fantastic Geodesic Dome
• Green by Design
• Bridge Basics

Hard copies of education resource packets for most programs are available for $10 per packet. Contact the Associate Youth Groups Coordinator for more information at 202.272.2448, ext. 3300, or email youthgroups@nbm.org.

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 DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation in Washington, D.C. and by the Turner Construction Company in Philadelphia. The program was developed with support from the Construction Industry Round Table.