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Bridge Construction Curriculum for K-12 students (Resource Exchange)

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Instructional Showcase

Tagged Division

Pre-College Engineering Education Division (PCEE)

Tagged Topic

Professional Interest Council (PIC)

Permanent URL

https://strategy.asee.org/48409

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Paper Authors

biography

Sarah Lynn Orton P.E. University of Missouri, Columbia Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-7896-039X

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Dr. Orton is an associate professor in Civil Engineering and is an active member of the American Concrete Institute and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Dr. Orton also serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Civil and Environmental

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Abstract

A curriculum consisting of 13 independent lessons (presentations, videos, activities, and teacher instructions) covering aspects of bridge design and construction was created to positively impact students' attitudes toward STEM concepts, classes, and career choices. The modules are targeted to students at different grade levels (elementary (E), middle (M), or high (H) school) and aligned with national and state educational standards. The topics include How bridges work (E,M,H), How bridges are constructed (E, M/H), How concrete gets strong (E,M/H), Bridge terminology and design (M/H), Geometric design of roadways (H), Steel plate girder design (H), River hydraulics and scour (H), Bridge expansion joints (H), and Bridge foundations(H). Each lesson is designed so that teachers can directly present the presentation or video in the classroom (~20min) and students can engage in the corresponding hands-on activity or design challenge (~50min).

Orton, S. L. (2024, June), Bridge Construction Curriculum for K-12 students (Resource Exchange) Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://strategy.asee.org/48409

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