K5 Science Endorsement GPS Lesson Plan

Title
Teacher(s)
E-mail
School
Lesson Title
Grade Level

Ultimate Connections (Bridge Unit)

Amy Soto
Amy.Soto@cobbk12.org
Ford Elementary School
Residency Lessons
4th -5th grade
Forces and strength of
Concepts(s)
Target
material used to build
Targeted
students
bridges- STEM
activities

Lesson Essential Questions:

How do bridges impact our lives?

What is important information I need to learn about bridges?
How will learning about bridges affect my groups bridge construction?
Which shape is the strongest? Explain why?
What is the importance of triangle and trusses?
What is the difference between the forces of tension and compression?

Gifted Standards

Safety Considerations Cyber safety- be sure to review the rules of

internet rules and BYOD expectations. Other Important safety rules: Be
careful with sharp building materials (especially sharp toothpicks) Safety
googles will be necessary when testing bridge strength.
The Learning Plan: During this unit of study, students will learn more
about how bridges affect our lives. They will be engaged with learning,
discussing and making connections about what forces are used in the
engineering and building of bridges. Exploration will take place when
completing scavenger hunts, vocabulary grids, and note-taking during
interesting videos. Explaining will be integral in student reflections each day.
Extension/Elaboration will be used when students begin their own bridge
building companies and create their own bridges using parameters given in
their STEM activity. Evaluation will take place during the pre and post-test, as
well as daily reflections and end results from STEM activities. Bridge testing
for strength will be the wrap-up of our unit of study during this semester.
The book BRIDGES! Amazing Structures to Design, Build and Test by Carol A.
Johmann and Elizabeth J. Rieth will be used throughout the unit.

Title of the Lesson Day 1: How do Bridges Impact our Lives?

(Engage)
Lesson Logistics/Materials: After giving the pretest, students will
work in groups to create a graphic organizer listing ways that
bridges might impact our lives. Set the timer for 10 minutes to
complete. Materials needed: chart paper, markers, crayons, colored
pencils, etc.
Opening/Hook/Initial Focus: Engage students by allowing them to share
what they know about bridges. Group discussions about impact of bridges
will create further interest in learning more about this unit.
Work Session:
Engage: Students will be given 10 minutes to display their ideas

about how bridges impact humans.

Explore: After presenting their ideas, students will take notes in
their interactive STEM Journal while watching video Understanding
Bridges Pause after important points and have students
take/discuss notes. The flip notebook will be referred to later when
we discuss vocabulary words.
Explore: Students will create a pasta bridge using the parameters
given in the activity.
Closing:
Reflection- students will reflect on their learning for the day.
Answer the essential question and post this reflection on Edmodo.
Later the reflection will be printed and inserted into the interactive
STEM journal.
Title of the Lesson Day 2: What important information do I need to
learn about bridges?
Lesson Logistics/Materials: Kids Discover Magazine, Scavenger
Hunt, Devices, link to Building Big website, The Force Be With You
part 1 and 2, Piers-Which Shape is the Strongest, link to video about
strongest shapes, Vocabulary activity
Opening:
Engage/Explore: Kids Discover- Bridges Scavenger Hunt- using the magazine,
each table group will work together to complete the scavenger hunt. Once
finished, students will begin working on vocabulary activity.
Work Period:
Extend: The Force Be with You activity. Hands-on activities to demonstrate
compression and tension.
Explore/Explain: Define and illustrate vocabulary words using the Building Big
site. This definition sheet will be inserted into the interactive notebook when
completed.
Closing:
Explain: Students will reflect on what they have learned in their
STEM Journals.
Title of the Lesson Day 3: How will learning about bridges affect my
groups bridge construction?
Lesson Logistics/Materials: Students will work in small groups to
continue to work on scavenger hunt and vocabulary organizer. Later will
transition into their Bridge Building Groups to complete the given tasks. All
materials are available to students to use as needed to create the assigned
objects.
Opening/Hook/Initial Focus: Announce Bridge Building Groups (Students
wrote down names of three others that they would like to work with. Final
choice is the teachers)
Work Session:
Explore/Explain: Continue working on scavenger hunt using the Building

Big site. This definition sheet will be inserted into the interactive notebook
when completed.
Extend: Building Toothpick Bridge
Overview- students will produce a company name, logo, slogan, code of
conduct, name plate, and vault.
Closing:
Evaluate: Write a reflection about group progress daily.

Title of the Lesson Day 4: What is the strongest shape? Explain why.
Lesson Logistics/Materials: Bridge Building Groups will use items listed in
the pier building activity. Each groups will decide upon jobs assigned to each
group member. STEM journals will be used to document findings of pier
experimental activity.
Opening/Hook/Initial Focus: Extend: Piers-Which shape is strongest?
Students experiment with different shapes that could possibly be used for
piers. Test how many books each pier can hold.
Work Session: Explain- Watch video about the strongest shape, take notes
while viewing. Students will reflect upon their learning in their interactive
notebook. Bridge Building Group will discuss how this knowledge will affect
their plan for building. Begin working on a plan to build the strongest bridge,
using the least amount of materials. Review the prices of each item and the
planning involved in building their bridges. Blueprints will be discussed.
Closing:
Evaluate: Once complete, login to Padlet and answer the question of the day.
Students will view each others reflections on the Smartboard.
Title of the Lesson Day 5: What was the Roman contributions to
Bridges?
Lesson Logistics/Materials: Bridge Building Groups will learn more about
Roman influences on bridges. To Tell the Truth cards will be needed. The unit
book, BRIDGES! Amazing Structures to Design, Build and Test by Carol A.
Johmann and Elizabeth J. Rieth, will be used. Create a Cofferdam directions
will be discussed and materials presorted for the activity.
Opening/Hook/Initial Focus: Engage: Play- To Tell The Truth game to open
todays lesson. Three students represent three different bridge historians.
Students will vote using a poll on Edmodo to see who the real historian is
amongst the three.
Work Session:
Extend: Students will learn about Roman bridges through the activity Create

a Cofferdam. To create a cofferdam, put the students in groups of three and

follow the step by step directions on page 29 of the book; BRIDGES! Amazing
Structures to Design, Build and Test by Carol A. Johmann and Elizabeth J.
Rieth
Closing:
Explain: Students will reflect on their experiences today in their STEM
Notebook. They will also reflect on questions posed on Edmodo.
The Bridge Building activity will continue throughout the semester until
testing day. Each team will test their bridge for strength. Awards will be
given for the most aesthetically pleasing bridge, the most cost effective, and
the strongest bridge.

Documentation of Resources Brainpop Videos:

Architecture=
https://www.brainpop.com/artsandmusic/artconcepts/architecture/
Building Basics=
https://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/buildingbasics/
Bridges- https://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustry/bridges/
Thinklink site with photos, videos and websites
GREAT AMERICAN BRIDGES AND DAMS by Donald C. Jackson
IN THE WAKE OF TACOMA by Richard Scott

Create a Cofferdam
(See A Kaleidoscope Kids Book: BRIDGES! Amazing Structures to Design,
Build and Test by Carol A. Johmann and Elizabeth J. Rieth)
The Romans made three major contributions toward bridge building:
1. arch bridges The bridge used most often at this time was the beam
bridge, but problems occurred with the limit of height with the beam bridge.
They developed the arch bridge to aid water transportation. Discuss arch
bridges and the importance of the keystone.
2. pozzolana -- What would the Romans use for cement if trying to build a
pier or arch bridge in the water? The Romans discovered waterproof cement,

made from Vesuvius ash. It was a natural cement, discovered near the
Italian city of Pozzuoli.
3. cofferdam Even with waterproof cement, the Roman engineers had to
solve the problem How are we going to pour the concrete under water on
the bottom of a river to make pier foundations? The answer is you dont!
You get rid of the water instead. The Roman invention, the cofferdam, solved
the problem. A cofferdam is a round or square dam that keeps water out.
To create a cofferdam, put the students in groups of three and follow the step
by step directions on page 29 of the book listed above. Every gifted program
received a copy of this book several years ago.
As a reflection piece, you may want to use the Leonardo da Vinci quote upon
completion of this activity.