Project: Building Bridges With Engineering Kits!
Resources Needed: KNEX Education Real Bridge Building kits to construct replicas of real bridges across America during our study of historic bridges and how they have changed over the years.
School Poverty Level: Highest
Location: Toccoa Elementary School, Toccoa, Georgia
Total Cost: $583.98
Still Needed: $383.09 $113.09
Expires: Aug 08, 2014
Teacher's Comments from Mrs. Childs:
My Students: You remember that moment in school where you could get out of your seat, find yourself a spot in the room, and dig into something that interested you. This project will provide students that moment to be true architects by building bridges that work and resemble real bridges in our country.
I serve over 90 students in grades K-5 in a small, rural school in Georgia. Most of them qualify for gifted services, but I am able to serve some of the brightest students who don't quite qualify for gifted instruction. Each week, a group of 72 students and rotating groups of about 30 students experience hands-on activities meant to challenge, inspire, and provoke meaningful conversation.
Many of the students that I serve are living in homes with parents who have few resources to support their children's learning. They do have huge hearts and a great desire to see their children achieve and experience the world in whatever ways we can provide it.
My Project: Students will conduct research of famous bridges including a historic bridge in our county that is missing its middle third section. Students will plot the different bridges across the country and color code these according to the type of bridge they are- for example, cantilever, arch, suspension, covered, and pontoon bridges.
In order to turn a 2D activity into a 4D experience, students will design bridges according to directions in the kits. Once, their engineering skills are established, we will look at the similarities between bridges, how these bridges perfectly serve the purpose they were built for, and what would a brand-new style of bridge need for a budding engineer. My kindergarten through fifth-grade students will design a bridge and construct a new model that will serve a specific purpose. An example might be, a bridge connecting our two playgrounds or a bridge spanning a creek that runs through a park down the road from us.
Kids love to interact with each other and materials that will spark their creativity and challenge their thinking. This project will be used year after year in more difficult and open-ended possibilities. It will offer the students the ability to do more than just read, research, or watch videos on a topic. Bridge kits make it easy to see dozens of possibilities in the field of engineering, and this will be a great way for me to break into this branch of science.
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