West Point Bridge Designer Lesson Plan Ryan Theiss Sagamore Middle School Holtzville, NY

Tool Descriptions WPBD – West Point Bridge Designer is a tool developed by west point to increase engineering and problem solving skills in school aged children. It is a free download that allows students to use an advanced bridge design software in many challenging situations, and offers scholarships through online competitions PBS.org Building Big – Bridges Forces Lab The PBS website has a brilliant interactive section on their Building Big web pages. Their flash interactive games allow students to learn and play. The Bridge Forces Lab in particular allows them to learn about the forces on a bridge and visualize how they will effect the structure of a bridge. 8 Developed by

WPBD – West Point Bridge Designer is a tool developed by west point to increase engineering and problem solving skills in school aged children. It is a free download that allows students to use an advanced bridge design software in many challenging situations, and offers scholarships through online competitions

PBS.org Building Big – Bridges Forces Lab

The PBS website has a brilliant interactive section on their Building Big web pages. Their flash interactive games allow students to learn and play. The Bridge Forces Lab in particular allows them to learn about the forces on a bridge and visualize how they will effect the structure of a bridge.

Project Description Extended Title How to utilize WPBD software to enhance NYS MST Standard 5.1: Technology – Engineering Design and Interact in the Online Design Contest Subject Level: 7 th Grade Technology Unit: Bridge Building Time Needed: Three 40min periods Purpose The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how the use of computer aided software can guide engineers and architects to build safer and more efficient buildings. Students will use the West Point Bridge Designer software to built test evaluate and refine ideas about how they will build their own scale model bridges later in the year. It will also aid students in understanding how tension, compression, live and dead loads effect structures. When the students are finished they will submit their design in an online WPBD competition, and use their design to create a scale model that they will test. Task Students will be able to use the West Point Bridge Designer Software to enhance their ability to design and evaluate truss bridges. During this lesson, students will learn how to use this computer aided design software to create joints, members, and trusses, and evaluate how efficient their bridges are. They will be able to adjust their designs after getting feedback on how tension and compression react to the live an dead loads on the structures. They will design a truss bridge that they will translate into a model bridge in their next lesson. Extra designs done at home can be handed in for extra credit. 8

Extended Title

How to utilize WPBD software to enhance NYS MST Standard 5.1: Technology – Engineering Design and Interact in the Online Design Contest

Subject Level: 7 th Grade Technology Unit: Bridge Building Time Needed: Three 40min periods

Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how the use of computer aided software can guide engineers and architects to build safer and more efficient buildings. Students will use the West Point Bridge Designer software to built test evaluate and refine ideas about how they will build their own scale model bridges later in the year. It will also aid students in understanding how tension, compression, live and dead loads effect structures. When the students are finished they will submit their design in an online WPBD competition, and use their design to create a scale model that they will test.

Task

Students will be able to use the West Point Bridge Designer Software to enhance their ability to design and evaluate truss bridges. During this lesson, students will learn how to use this computer aided design software to create joints, members, and trusses, and evaluate how efficient their bridges are. They will be able to adjust their designs after getting feedback on how tension and compression react to the live an dead loads on the structures. They will design a truss bridge that they will translate into a model bridge in their next lesson. Extra designs done at home can be handed in for extra credit.

Project Description ( Procedure - day 1 ) Procedure Day 1 Students will have to sign in in the computer lab and start the WPBD program Students will have to follow Smart board guided demo on how to save their own templates to start create a new bridge – click ok In the site design window choose 16 meters then finish using the design tools identify joints, members, the edit tool, and the erase tool draw joints in the suggested locations on the roadway use the member tool to draw members across the roadway draw joints to create triangle trusses above the roadway connect the joints with members On the to menu bar click on the truck icon to go to test mode ( note - the bridge will not be able to be tested if all joints are not connected as triangles) Click on the drawing board icon to go back to the design mode Go back and forth between design and testing and adjust all the highlighted members by changing the material, and size Save your work 8

Procedure

Day 1

Students will have to sign in in the computer lab and start the WPBD program

Students will have to follow Smart board guided demo on how to save their own templates to start

create a new bridge – click ok

In the site design window choose 16 meters then finish

using the design tools identify joints, members, the edit tool, and the erase tool

draw joints in the suggested locations on the roadway

use the member tool to draw members across the roadway

draw joints to create triangle trusses above the roadway

connect the joints with members

On the to menu bar click on the truck icon to go to test mode ( note - the bridge will not be able to be tested if all joints are not connected as triangles)

Click on the drawing board icon to go back to the design mode

Go back and forth between design and testing and adjust all the highlighted members by changing the material, and size

Save your work

Project Description ( Procedure - days 2 & 3 ) Procedure Day 2 Students will load their work and start to modify their designs to try to get a design that costs under $170,000 They will have to explore the menu bar and learn how to adjusts, edit and test materials by going back and forth between design mode and test mode Day 3 Students will finish their bridge designs finalizing the best shape, size and structure Students will print out their designs and highlight the weak tension points in blue and compression points in red according to their test. This will be a prediction to where the point of failure on their model bridge will be. On their printouts they will have to label all their members, excluding the roadway. Students will hand in their printouts which will be graded by cost and effectiveness of their design. The best designs will be submitted in the 2008 Design contest 8

Procedure

Day 2

Students will load their work and start to modify their designs to try to get a design that costs under $170,000

They will have to explore the menu bar and learn how to adjusts, edit and test materials by going back and forth between design mode and test mode

Day 3

Students will finish their bridge designs finalizing the best shape, size and structure

Students will print out their designs and highlight the weak tension points in blue and compression points in red according to their test. This will be a prediction to where the point of failure on their model bridge will be.

On their printouts they will have to label all their members, excluding the roadway.

Students will hand in their printouts which will be graded by cost and effectiveness of their design.

The best designs will be

submitted in the 2008

Design contest

Project Description ( Resources and Evaluation ) Resources Needed Computer access Free WPDB software download on each computer Internet access Smart board or projector for demonstration Student Instruction sheet Rubric for student bridge design grading Evaluation Students will be in competition for this assignment, and the highest grades will be awarded to the lowest costing bridges. The lowest costing bridge will be awarded 25 points, the second lowest 24 and so on. 50 points will be awarded for a finished working bridge 0-10 points will be awarded for the creativity/complexity of the bridge 2 – bridge drawn from a template with all member sizes the same 5 – bridge resembles a template bridge 7 – bridge has a shape, but all members are all the same size 10 – original idea for a bridge 10 points will be awarded if the bridge is symmetrical 0-5 points will be given for paperwork 0-no paperwork, 2–paperwork incomplete, 3-missing number labels on members etc., 5-all complete 8

Resources Needed

Computer access

Free WPDB software download on each computer

Internet access

Smart board or projector for demonstration

Student Instruction sheet

Rubric for student bridge design grading

Evaluation

Students will be in competition for this assignment, and the highest grades will be awarded to the lowest costing bridges. The lowest costing bridge will be awarded 25 points, the second lowest 24 and so on.

50 points will be awarded for a finished working bridge

0-10 points will be awarded for the creativity/complexity of the bridge

2 – bridge drawn from a template with all member sizes the same

5 – bridge resembles a template bridge

7 – bridge has a shape, but all members are all the same size

10 – original idea for a bridge

10 points will be awarded if the bridge is symmetrical

0-5 points will be given for paperwork

0-no paperwork, 2–paperwork incomplete, 3-missing number labels on members etc., 5-all complete

New York State Standards International Technology Education Association Standards for Technological Literacy: Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the relationships between technologies and other fields of study Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding for the attributes of design Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply the design process NYS Math Science and Technology Standards: Standard 5: Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs Standard 5.1 Engineering Design: develop plans including drawings with measurements and details of construction. NYS Introduction to Technology Syllabus T-3: How People Use Technology to Solve Problems 8

International Technology Education Association Standards for Technological Literacy:

Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the relationships between technologies and other fields of study

Standard 8: Students will develop an understanding for the attributes of design

Standard 11: Students will develop abilities to apply the design process

NYS Math Science and Technology Standards:

Standard 5: Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs

Standard 5.1 Engineering Design: develop plans including drawings with measurements and details of construction.

NYS Introduction to Technology Syllabus T-3: How People Use Technology to Solve Problems

Associated Standards Career Development & Occupational Studies Standards: Standard 1—Career Development Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work, explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career decisions. Standard 2—Integrated Learning Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings. ISTE Standards Met: Standard 4 - Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students: a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation. b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project. c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions. 8

Career Development & Occupational Studies Standards:

Standard 1—Career Development

Students will be knowledgeable about the world of work, explore career options, and relate personal skills, aptitudes, and abilities to future career decisions.

Standard 2—Integrated Learning

Students will demonstrate how academic knowledge and skills are applied in the workplace and other settings.

ISTE Standards Met:

Standard 4 - Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students: a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

b. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

d. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

Resources West Point Bridge Designer Website http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/ Bridge Types and PBS.org Forces Lab http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/forces.html 8

West Point Bridge Designer Website

http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/

Bridge Types and PBS.org Forces Lab

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/forces.html