Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Bridging the Gaps

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges. 
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: Today in History: June 12: Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the first steel-wire suspension bridge. This site, from American Memory, has a biography of John A. Roebling, the designer of the bridge, and many links to photographs of the construction...
Handout
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Build a Bridge

For Students 9th - 10th
Survey potential bridge sites, research bridge design, and select the right bridge for the right location in this interactive activity from the NOVA: "Super Bridge" Web site.