Bridge investigation
Week 1 and 2 – Bridge investigation
If you do not have your Espresso login you can e mail the school office at admin@becket.n-somerset.sch.uk and a member of the team will reply to you.
Reception and Key Stage 1
Watch the video about different types of bridges.
What have you learned? Do the activity to test your learning with a grown-up.
Bridge building challenge
Now have a go at completing the challenge set on the video. Can you design and build a bridge between 2 points that are 30cm apart? Pretend there is a deep gorge between them, for example between 2 chairs. You can use 30 straws and 2 metres of tape (if you don’t have straws you can make your own using tightly rolled newspaper, roll it on a diagonal).
What type of bridge will you build? Test your bridge with weights, how much can it hold? Can you make it stronger? If it can’t hold any weight rebuild it and improve it. Who can build the strongest bridge and who can build the most beautiful bridge? Take photos and e mail them to your class e mail address.
Local investigations
What can you find out about the Clifton suspension bridge? Draw a picture and label the different parts of the bridge. Now write a factfile about the bridge including when it was built and who designed it.
What type of bridge is Pulteney Bridge in Bath? Can you investigate the history of Pulteney Bridge? You can choose how you want to record your findings
Using Google maps look at the river that runs through Bristol from Brunel’s Swing Bridge through to Temple Bridge. What are the names of the bridges and what type are they? Record what you find in a table.
Global challenge
Use the internet to find a picture of the following bridges. What type of bridge are they and what country are they in?
Golden Gate Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Ponte Vecchio
Rialto Bridge
Millau Viaduct
Great Belt Bridge
Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
Key Stage 2
Watch the video about different types of bridges.
What have you learned? Do the activity to test your learning.
Bridge building challenge
Now have a go at completing the challenge set on the video. Can you design and build a bridge between 2 points that are 30cm apart? Pretend there is a deep gorge between them, for example between 2 chairs. You can use 30 straws and 2 metres of tape (if you don’t have straws you can make your own using tightly rolled newspaper, roll it on a diagonal).
What type of bridge will you build? Test your bridge with weights, how much can it hold? Can you make it stronger? If it can’t hold any weight rebuild it and improve it. Who can build the strongest bridge and who can build the most beautiful bridge? Take photos and e mail them to your class e mail address.
Local investigations
What can you find out about the 2 Severn Bridge crossings? Can you compare the bridges? Why do you think these 2 types of bridge were chosen for these crossings? You can choose how you want to record your findings.
What can you find out about the Clifton suspension bridge? Write a factfile about the bridge including when it was built and who designed it.
What type of bridge is Pulteney Bridge in Bath? Can you investigate the history of Pulteney Bridge? Are there any other famous bridges of this type (hint, there’s one in Italy). You can choose how you want to record your findings.
Using Google maps look at the river that runs through Bristol from Brunel’s Swing Bridge through to Temple Bridge. What are the names of the bridges and what type are they? Record what you find in a table