List at least three ways they are similar and three ways they are different. The U.S. government requires states to inspect and rate all bridges at least once every two years. Describe ways that technology can be used to make monitoring and inspection of bridges more efficient and effective. The earthquake in October 1989 in the San Francisco Bay area caused great structural damage to many of the bridges in the area. Explain your ideas.
Many bridges are icons for the cities or regions in which they are located.
Almost everyone associates the Golden Gate Bridge, for instance, with San Francisco, or the Brooklyn Bridge with New York City. Have your students prepare posters or multimedia presentations on famous bridges from around the country and world. Students should include in their presentations descriptions of the designs and features of the bridges, including pictures or diagrams and brief descriptions of the areas in which the bridges are located. They should also include brief histories of how and why the bridges were built and the current uses and states of the bridges, including any repair plans. An excellent starting point for finding information is Netscape's Bridge Search.