PROJECT OVERVIEW / THOUGHTFUL CLASSROOM
Step One: Identify the Title and Core Concept
Name of Project:
To get to the other Side: Designing Bridges
Subject/Course: Science / ELA
Duration: 3-6 weeks
Teacher(s): Uryniak, Commisso, McGarry,
McGinnley
Grade Level: 3
Engineering and Design : A Study in Designing Bridges
(Unit Topic)
(core concept)
Step Two: Identifying Standards to Be Addressed
Significant Content
(CCSS and/or others)
Science: 3-5-ETS1-1 Define a simple design problem and reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for
success and constraints on materials, time, 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.
3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify
aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
ELA:
RI:
21st Century
Competencies
(to be taught and
assessed)
Collaboration
Project Summary
Students identify technologies, recognize the role of civil engineers, and identify some of the
forces that act on a structure, conduct a controlled experiment, analyze testing data, and
recognize that under different criteria and constraints, different bridge types are the best
design choice.
(include student role,
issue, problem, or
challenge, action taken,
and purpose/beneficiary)
Driving Question



Philosophical or
Debatable
Product-Oriented
X
Communication
Critical Thinking
Creativity and Innovation
Other: productivity and accountability
X
How can we use our knowledge of material and properties, different bridge types,
and the Engineering Design Process to design a strong, stable bridge?
Role-Oriented
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How can we, as structural engineers, design a strong, stable bridge for the trains
to go over Onondaga Lake Parkway, so that all traffic can travel safely on the road
below?
Guiding Questions:
What happens when a bridge isn’t high enough for things to pass under it?
Why are they repairing the bridges in our area?
What could have be done differently to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge so that it did not collapse?
What type of budget and materials do you need to successfully create your bridge?
What are good bridge designs and why?
What type of bridge should be used in a specific setting?
Key Academic
Vocabulary:
Engineer, civil engineer, forces, push and pull, redesigning, bridge Design process, materials, properties, designs,
technology, motion, constraint, criteria, property, prototype, abutment, action, Arch Bridge, balance, Beam Bridge, Effect,
Equilibrium, Failure, Force, Masa, Pier Span, Stability, Suspension Bridge, Tamale
PROJECT OVERVIEW / THOUGHTFUL CLASSROOM
Entry Event
(The Foyer)
Have the students watch the video clip of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse. Discuss what they think happened and
what could we do to ensure it doesn’t happen again? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xox9BVSu7Ok#t=41
Watch a news /article from the bus accident with the Parkway Bridge and discuss what has happened when tall vehicles
try to pass under a bridge that isn’t high enough?
http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=988425#.VIH6FE1OXIU
http://centralny.twcnews.com/content/news/710719/truck-hits-bridge-over-onondaga-lake-parkway/
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/at_least_two_dead_possibly_mor.html
http://photos.syracuse.com/post-standard/2010/09/four_are_dead_in_megabus_crash_2.html
Product(s) and/or
Performance(s)
(The Kitchen)
Individual:
Written report:
Student contributions in class
Student Rubric work
Pushes and Pulls activity
Assessments
Journal Entries
Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
Written report explaining why they chose their bridge design.
Journal entries to demonstrate that they understand the
different types of bridges and where they are best used.
Team:
Bridge Design:
Implement steps of the Engineering
Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
 Bridge design to demonstrate that they understand what
makes a strong, safe bridge over a specific land form.
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Design Process
Bridging Understanding Pairs
Designing Bridges Pairs
Presentations

Present their prototype and defend their decisions orally
Step Three: Develop Your Learning Window
Knowledge Goals(Facts, sequences, and vocabulary terms-list terms under
Behavioral Goals/Habits of Mind
“Key Academic Vocabulary)
(Habits of mind/attitudes that will foster success in the unit)
What are forces?
What are the different types of bridge designs and where should each be used?
Determine bridge type to be used and materials needed to create it
Vocab: Engineer, civil engineer, forces, push and pull, redesigning,
bridge Design process, materials, properties, designs, technology,
motion, constraint, criteria, property, prototype, abutment, action, Arch
Bridge, balance, Beam Bridge, Effect, Equilibrium, Failure, Force,
Masa, Pier Span, Stability, Suspension Bridge, Tamale
Understanding Goals
(Big ideas, generalizations, principles)
How to design a safe bridge?
What type of bridge would be best to be used to over Onondaga Lake
Parkway?
How do I design my bridge so that it is safe, stable and traffic can travel safely
under it?
Explain why you chose your bridge design.
Behavioral Goals:
 Students will work cooperatively in teams to design a bridge that
will be strong enough, yet tall enough for traffic to travel safely
beneath it.
Habits of Mind (p.36 Classroom Curr. Design):
 Synergize
Skill-Acquisition Goals
(Targeted skills and/or Hidden Skills of Academic Literacy)
Reading & Study Skills:
 Read about forces and different types of bridges
Reasoning & Analysis Skills:
 What criteria does it take to build a strong, stable bridge?
Production & Communication Skills:
 Design a bridge that meets criteria and be able to explain why it is stafe
and stable.
Reflection & Relating Skills:
 Write about what they have learned about the process of designing and
building safe, stable bridges
PROJECT OVERVIEW / THOUGHTFUL CLASSROOM
Public Audience
(Experts, audiences, or
product users students will
engage with during/at end of
project)
(The Kitchen)
Highway Department
Architects
Engineers
BOE
Buildings and Grounds
Bridge Inspectors (Keith Para?)
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Families
Resources Needed
On-site people, facilities: Classroom, hall space, Cafeteria, Teachers, Molly McGarry,
Equipment: Promethean board Flipchart, Elmo, Building Bridges Kit
Materials: Javier Builds a Bridge; maps; straws; paper clips; index cards; ruler; scissors; Scotch Tape; string; 10 weights;
clay; blocks or textbooks; cups; container; assessments
Community Resources: Examples of bridges, architects, engineers, bridge inspectors
Websites/WEB 2.0 Tools:
Reflective Methods
(Individual, Team,
and/or Whole Class)
(The Porch)
Journal/Learning Log
X
Focus Group
Whole-Class Discussion
X
Fishbowl Discussion
Survey
Other:
Notes:
PROJE C T
DE SIGN:
ST UD E NT
LEARNING
GUIDE
Project: To Get to the Other Side: Designing Bridges
Driving Question: How can we, as civil engineers, design a strong, stable bridge for the trains to go over Onondaga Lake Parkway, so that all traffic can travel
safely on the road below?
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Final Product(s)
Learning Outcomes/Targets
Checkpoints/Formative Assessments
Instructional Strategies for All Learners
Presentations,
Performances, Products
and/or Services
(The Kitchen)
content & 21st century competencies
needed by students to successfully
complete products
(CCSS: I Can Statements)
to check for learning and ensure
students are on track
(The Workshop & Porch)
provided by teacher, other staff, experts; includes
scaffolds, materials, lessons aligned to learning
outcomes and formative assessments
(The Library & Workshop)
(individual and
team)
Read about and discuss the various types of
I can design a bridge that will be strong
Bridge design with testing and rubric
enough to hold a train, yet tall enough to let BIE 3-5 Collaboration Rubric CCSS 2013.pdf bridges and which ones work best with which
land forms. Multi-leveled books and
cars, trucks, and busses pass safely below it. Rubric 3-9 from To Get To the Other side:
websites.
Work in heterogeneous teams to create their
bridge design.
Test bridge design
Designing Bridges
I can explain the different types of bridge
Journal entries, ticket out the door
deigns and decide which would be the best BIE 3-5 Critical Thinking Rubric CCSS
design to replace the bridge over Onondaga 2013.pdf
Rubric 1-8 from the To Get To the Other side:
Lake Parkway.
Read about and discuss the various types of
bridges and which ones work best with which
land forms. Multi-leveled books and
websites.
Research can be done in small groups,
individually, or with teacher assistance.
I can write an essay to explain why I chose
that bridge design to replace the Parkway
bridge.
(Critical thinking-Informative writing)
Informative essay with rubric
Model informative writing and reference Lucy
Calkins Unit 2 from earlier in the year.
Teach peer critiquing
Write rough drafts and have peers critique them.
Teacher conference
Rubric evaluations
I can orally explain and defend our bridge
design.
(Speaking and listening 4)
Rubric to assess during oral presentation
Oral Presentation Scoring Rubric.doc
Model how to explain a process
Teach peer critiquing.
Practice with peers and have peers critique
I can work collaboratively with a team to
research and design our bridge.
(Collaboration)
Observation of interactions and evaluation
of final product
Discuss how a team effectively works together.
Create heterogeneous teams.
Go over rubric they will be assessed on.
I can explain how two equivalent forces can
be used to make a bridge safe and stable.
(Critical thinking-written report)
Written response, journal entry
Designing Bridges
BIE 3-5 Critical Thinking Rubric CCSS
2013.pdf
Reflective Essay Rubric abridged.doc
Rubric 4-13 To Get To the Other side:
Designing Bridges
Group Observation Checklist.doc
Rubric 2-6 To Get To the Other side:
Designing Bridges
Lessons on motion and forces
Discussions from previously learned
materials, Javier Builds A Bridge,
worksheets from Bridges kit
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P R O J E C T
Project: To Get To the Other Side: Designing Bridges
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Time Frame: 3-5 weeks
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
Science: What are
some forces that act on
structures and how can
we as civil engineers
design structures that
can withstand these
forces?
 Examine
structures and
observe how
each is affected
by a force
 Brainstorm and
implement some
engineering
solutions to
prevent forces
from causing a
structure to fail
 Discuss how civil
engineers work
to counteract the
forces (pushes
and pulls) on a
structure in order
to make it
stronger and
more stable
Science: How does
the structure of a
bridge affect its
strength and how we
can use different
materials in our
bridge designs.
(pairs)
PROJECT WEEK ONE
Science and Social
Studies:
Entry Event: Show
videos of Tacoma
Bridge Narrows
Collapse and articles on
truck and bus hitting
CSX Bridge on
Onondaga Lake
Parkway. Discuss the
need to create a new
bridge to allow trains to
pass above, yet all
traffic travel safely
below.
What will final product
be?
What do we need to
know to get there?
Formulate teams and
do a team building
activity (TBD)
Team contracts
completes and notes
sent home to families.
Social Studies: Why do
bridges look different?
Science: What do we
need to know to decide
what type of bridge to
use?
Show pictures of Bridges
around the World. Discuss
where the bridges are
located and look at the
different styles of bridges.
Be sure to show a picture
of the CSX bridge over
the Parkway so they can
observe the landscape
and type of bridge that is
there now.
Talk about the 3 types of
bridges: Arch Bridge,
balance, Beam Bridge,
suspension bridge
Ticket out door: Which
type of bridge do you
Onondaga Lake Parkway?
ELA: Javier Builds a
Bridges: Read and
discuss vocabulary
included
(differentiate according
to reading level needs)




Making and
testing Bridges
Set-up (3-1)
Students build
a beam bridge
and test it
Students record
their results
and
observations
Reflection in
journal
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P R O J E C T
Project: To Get To the Other Side: Designing Bridges
M O N D A Y
T U E S D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Time Frame: 3-5 weeks
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
Science:
 Bring in
architects,
engineers,
bridge
inspectors to
talk to students
about their
design and
their careers
Science: How can we
improve our bridge
design?
 Pairs rebuild
bridge with
new ideas
 pairs test
stability
 Pairs test
strength
 Students
PROJECT WEEK TWO
Science: How does
the structure of a
bridge affect its
strength and how can
we use different
materials in our
bridge designs?
Math: measurement
Science/ELA:
 Students use
sample
materials and
identify the
properties,
discuss possible
shape
 Students
examine and
discuss with
partner how to
use the
materials
Science: How can we
use our knowledge of
materials and their
properties, different
bridge types, and the
Engineering Design
Process to design a
strong, stable bridge
to go over Onondaga
Lake Parkway?
(pairs)
 Discuss what
type of bridge
would work
best over the
Parkway
 Why do
engineers use
prototypes?
 What criteria
will we use?
 Imagine
possible
designs and
plan bridges
Science/ELA:
“Create and
Improve”
 Pairs create
bridges based
on their plan
 Pairs test
stability
 Pairs test
strength
 Pairs improve
their designs
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P R O J E C T
Project:
M O N D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Time Frame:
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK THREE
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P R O J E C T
Project:
M O N D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Time Frame:
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK FOUR
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P R O J E C T
Project:
M O N D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Time Frame:
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK FIVE
© 2013 Buck Institute for Education
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P R O J E C T
Project:
M O N D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Time Frame:
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK SIX
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