Objectives
In this unit, students will develop an understanding of the reasons why people need and create bridges and the impact that these bridges have on the communities and areas that they connect once they are built. They will understand that a bridge solves a problem and that they all cross over obstacles and connect one place to another. The examples that the students will see will help them understand why people throughout history and in different cultures have arrived at their solutions for bridges.
Students will be able to identify and remember the basic types of bridges and understand the principles involved in their construction through a variety of teaching strategies. They will also be able to understand some of the reasons why the different types of bridges are selected for their locations, realizing that a bridge should fill a particular need and fit a specific location. They will become familiar with selected appropriate historical examples of each of these basic types of bridges and understand how bridge construction, technology, materials, needs, environmental concerns, innovations and other factors have impacted bridge construction through the ages. Reasons for bridge failures will be explored. Students will also understand and be able to use the bridge as a metaphor.
An understanding is needed of how Santiago Calatrava has been inspired by nature. Students will analyze how he has incorporated the principles of structure found in nature into the basic design of some of his architectural buildings and bridges and even his sculptures and furniture. The importance of keeping a sketchbook like Calatrava and Leonardo da Vinci will be stressed. Since I am presenting this unit to my 3-D Design art students, I also want my students to see the influence of Calatrava's study of nature on his sculptures. The Fibonacci numbers will be examined in relation to nature (as in a spiral of a seashell) so that the students can build their models using the grace inherent in these natural numbers in their bridge measurements. The students will also understand how the visionary Leonardo da Vinci used his observations from nature in his art and invention ideas. There will be a clear connection between art and the other disciplines, particularly math and science.
Using personal observation and inspiration from a specific example such as a leaf that they have found or adapted from nature, students will be able to apply the principles of bridge construction to the creation of their own individual bridge models. Students will use their skills to first sketch the object(s) from nature. They will learn how to use graph paper and understand the concepts of scale and proportion, applying them to their renderings. After experimentation, research, and utilizing class input, the students will improve and modify their sketches that they have drawn. Then they will actually build their bridges, using their knowledge of structure, functions and materials. They can construct them using a selection of appropriate materials. The students will also learn from their peers and me through collaboration and a sharing of ideas throughout the process of building their bridges.
The students will also be able to analyze, evaluate and assess their own creations and the bridges of their peers using some of the appropriate vocabulary that they have learned during the course of the unit. A reflective thinking sheet that the students fill out should not only include what they perceive their successes and obstacles to be in the planning and building of their bridge, but they should also be able to explain the type of bridge that they have constructed and the forces involved. These objectives easily align with the Delaware State Art Standards which are listed in the appendix.
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