Virtual Bridge

Our Professional Learning Community, PLC, used this article to help us with a cross grade project for our Design and Engineering class that allowed students to use skills in building, commun... See More

Our Professional Learning Community, PLC, used this article to help us with a cross grade project for our Design and Engineering class that allowed students to use skills in building, communication and technology. The article is based on an activity adapted from the West Point Bride Design competition located at http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/. The website alone is worth the visit. There is a free download of the bridge building software and instructions for students to enter. While none of our students chose to enter, they still were able to design their own bridge on the software. Many are still continuing to build months later. The purpose, job descriptions and rubric are well defined and easy to use. The step by step format of how the authors sequenced the student work along with the really well diagrammed figures made it really easy to follow along and be successful with the project. While it was sometimes time intensive, there was very little wasted time in class. It to

Bridge Program

This article gives a basic overview on how to incorporate the West Point Bridge challenge into a middle school curriculum. Some questions remain: How many engineers worked with the program,... See More

This article gives a basic overview on how to incorporate the West Point Bridge challenge into a middle school curriculum. Some questions remain: How many engineers worked with the program, and how extensive was the feedback to the students? Good advice to have the teachers experience the entire program before they use it in class.