Driving Question

What are the different variables that go into the planning, constructing, durability, and aesthetics of a bridge? 

Background Information

Bridges are a part of our daily life but tend to be inconspicuous in our daily observations.  It is important to note when European explores were looking for a route to Asia, they opted to travel by sea.  Not only the lack of roads, but most importantly the lack of bridges made the journey nearly impossible because of wide, deep, and treacherous rivers and valleys.  Today, because the social and economic advances in our society, efficient travel has become a priority and bridges have helped connect pieces of land that otherwise would be inaccessible or time consuming.   

Rationale

Students must be aware of the intricate mathematical ideas that go into building and maintaining a bridge.  Building bridges is a hands on process that captures students’ interest and exposes them to real world problems that must be solved with mathematics.  These lessons are arranged to build on prior knowledge as well as master the underlining ideas of Geometry, History, Physics, and Weathering.