Week 2 Session 1

Project 2: Earthquake and Boise River Bridge Design - A Project-based STEM +Computing Inquiry (90 minutes in total including 10 minutes break in the middle of the session)

Overall guiding question: How can we build a bridge for the Boise River that is strong enough to resist earthquake forces?

Sub questions: 1) How do I design a bridge and what needs to be considered when designing a bridge?

2) What forces affect a bridge’s strength?

Learning outcome: Students present their research related to how bridges work and how they are built.

CT component embedded in student activities:

Simulation and Modeling: Students will understand how bridges work by playing a simulation game
Data Collection: Students will gather information on how bridges work and how they are built.

Entry event: -5 minutes

A teacher begins the session by asking “What are the four major types of bridges?” PAUSEs, allow the learners to share their recollections. The teacher should review the four types of bridges: Arch, Beam, Cable, and Suspension and then asks “How do ensgineers design bridges?” PAUSEs for students responses and opinions, before showing a video about a bridge engineer who explains the basics of bridge design: How to Build a Durable Bridge. PAUSEs and asks “What are some of the decisions that you think are important for bridge design?” Teacher encourages students to use the scientific vocabulary in their responses.

Teacher models bridge building interactive media: - 10 minutes. (A computer lab works best for this activity if the wireless connection does not work well. )

The teacher introduces an educational simulator, Bridge-Builder (This site is blocked by Boise School District for the students' account. However the teacher's account can access the site. It is recommended that the teacher log the students in with the teachers' account ahead of time for each student). This game has different levels that require the user to build a bridge, using “lines” and “cables” and a set a budget that varies at each level. A truck needs to cross the bridge, therefore, the user’s design must be able to hold the truck as it crosses a divide.

The teacher needs to prepare for this simulation by experiencing the simulation before this session. The teacher demonstrates how to design a bridge for the first three levels (Possible solutions for the first three levels are included in Appendix 1). Once the students are assembled around the teacher’s computer screen, the teacher demonstrates how bridges are built. At the teacher's discretion, the students may offer suggestions to the bridge’s design. Some basic procedures include:

- The game should be played on “full screen” (the option is in the bottom right corner)
- In the game, “Lines” cost $200 per small grid box ($1,000 for a large grid box), and can stretch up to 5 small gridlines per line
- “Cables” cost $100 per small grid box ($500 for a large grid box), and can stretch up to 14 small gridlines per cable
- Options to add lines and cables, delete these items, move around the screen, undo a purchase, and recycle the entire current bridge project are in the right sidebar
- Options to move the screen’s focus, zoom in, zoom out are in the bottom right bar
- The sound effects and music can be very distracting, and muting play is encouraged

Students simulation of bridge building interactive media: - 15 minutes

The students begin their own simulations, following the teacher’s modeling, in an attempt to build as many successful bridges as possible. In their notebooks, the students should record the steps taken to build a bridge and also sketch the designs that were successful in helping the truck cross the bridge.

Students inquiry/research: - 35 minutes

The teacher guides the students to consider the process for building a bridge in the real world. Unlike the simulation, there may be many factors that can affect a bridge’s strength and performance. To learn more about the foundations of a strong bridge, the students independently research the bridge design considerations and take notes in their notebooks including important considerations of bridge building. Given the direction to visit at least three resources and record findings of the research, the students work in small group of 2 or 3 to research the design considerations engineers take before constructing their bridges. Please direct students to use Week 2 Worksheet to guide their inquiry.

Resources provided:

1. PBS - Building Big Shape Lab - How Does a Bridge Work? You Can Experiment with Different Shapes and Forces in this Big Lab (Please direct students to experiment with at least the Force and Shape Tabs)2. Why Are Bridges So Strong? 3. Bridges and Forces 2: Beams and Columns (Please pay attention to the highlighted text) 4. Stress, Strain, Stiffness, and Young's Modulus (Please pay attention to the highlighted text)

5. Bridge Basics: Bridge Basics: A Spotter’s Guide to Bridge Design

Students Presentation: - 10 minutes

Students will present their research related to how bridges work and how they are built based on the set of questions and resources they researched.

End of Session Reflection and Debriefing: 5-10 minutes

Using the Problem Solving Process diagram, the teacher will ask students to identify what kind of problem solving skills/process/computational thinking they used in this session and explain how they used it. The following are some sample questions that can guide the debrief.

- What did I learn today?
- What problem solving skills/processes or CT components I used today in this diagram?
- How did you use the problem solving skills/processes/CT components?

Appendix 1:

Screenshots of possible “Bridge-Builder” solutions for levels 1-3

Level 1:

Level 2:

Level 3: