Building Bridges

Key Stage 2

Summary

This workshop is a cross curricular topic which covers several aspects of the National Curriculum subjects of Design and Technology, Science, History and Art and Design. The following information will brief you on the workshop.

The workshop aims to help children work in small teams to understand bridges as structures. Children learn that structures can fail when overloaded and that techniques can be used to reinforce and strengthen structures, such as folding, joining, using cylinders, arches and triangular shapes. Pupils will measure a bridge’s load and span using appropriate units of measurement.

The workshop also aims to help children use a range of first and second hand evidence from the Henley and River Galleries to learn about the history of Henley Bridge and old London Bridge.

Workshop Content

Education Centre (Museum Tutor Led)

 In this practical activity the children will work in small groups, to design and make a bridge which will carry a minimum load of twenty 2p coins over a span of 25cm.  Each group will have a limited ‘budget’ from which they can ‘purchase’ materials provided by the museum.  During the introduction children will be shown different types of bridges and techniques they can use to help strengthen their bridge.  At the end of the session some bridges will be tested to destruction with the permission of the builders.

River Walk to Henley Bridge (Museum Tutor Led) If you have previously booked a boat trip, it will replace this session.

 The group will walk along the tow path to look, sketch and label the main parts of Henley Bridge.  The museum tutor will give a brief talk about William Haywood who designed Henley Bridge, how the use of the bridge has changed over the last 200+ years, and some of the main structural features of the bridge.

Galleries (Teacher Led)

 Working in groups, the children will use the Gallery Challenge Cards to find out information about some of the bridges spanning the , with particular reference to the history of Henley Bridge, and its relationship with the town of Henley. Learning Outcomes

 An understanding of structures and the different techniques used to strengthen them  Working as a member of a small team to design and make a bridge for a specific task  An understanding of the different forces present in different types of simple bridges  An understanding of the way different materials can be used to make different types of bridges  Understanding what a fair investigation is and which variables have to be controlled.  An understanding of chronology by considering how the use of a bridging point and a specific bridge has changed over a period of time.  Using historical evidence (first and second hand) to make observations and answer questions about the past  Understanding how the use of shading, patterns, different grades of pencils, hatching and cross hatching can add tone and texture to a sketch. It is recommended these sketching techniques are taught at school before the visit.

Equipment

Equipment Provided by the Museum

 Clipboards  Laminated Challenge Cards

Equipment provided by the School

 Paper and pencils for the gallery  Waterproof clothing and shoes for the walk to Henley Bridge  A packed lunch and drink  Photocopied Gallery Challenge Card answer sheets  Photocopied Henley Bridge sketching and quiz sheets

Student preparation

We recommend the students have the following preparation

 An awareness that they will be coming to our museum for a hands-on day of learning  Some basic drawing sketching skills as described above  If possible staff should:  Ensure helpers are fully briefed on how best the maximize the learning on the day  Ensure pupils respect the other users of the museum  Provide pupils with a name badge

Large print versions of this and all teachers’ and pupils’ materials are available. Please ask when booking.

Copyright for any materials provided remains with the . Name:

Building Bridges

Gallery Challenge Cards Answer Sheet

Bridges Gallery Challenge Card 1 (Jan Siberechts Painting)

1) What type of boat is on the River Thames?

2) The boats are moved by

3) The bridge is made from and .

4) Henley Bridge is a mixture of the following two types of bridges.1)

2)

Bridges Gallery Challenge Card 2 (Dr Plot’s History of Henley)

1) People could only get from one side of the River Thames to the other by

or

2) The Henley Bridge was built in 1170 but was badly damaged by and the new bridge was built in .

3) The new bridge cost £ and up to stage coaches crossed it each day.

4) People used to pay a to be allowed to cross the bridge.

Bridges Gallery Challenge Card 7 (Jenning’s Wharf)

The two differences between the two scenes are 1)

2)

The two things the same between the two scenes are

1)

2)

Bridges Gallery Challenge Card 4 (Thames Highway Panoramas)

1) The name of the bridge in the picture is

2) The name of the building next to this bridge is

3) The name of other bridge on the River Thames was

Bridges Gallery Challenge Card 5 (London Bridge)

1) There were people’s heads on the sticks (pikes) because

2) The problem for boats with tall masts was

3) London Bridge was different to Westminster Bridge because it had

4) London Bridge was a good place to have a shop because

______

Bridge Gallery Challenge Card 3 (Tamesis and Isis)

1) The carvings of Isis and Tamesis were used to decorate the

2) Tamesis is the God of the River Thames.

3) The keystone of faces upstream.

4) has fish playing in his beard and bulrushes in his hair.7 Name:

Henley Bridge Worksheet

In the box make a sketch of Henley Bridge and draw arrows from the following labels to the correct places on your sketch.

Oxfordshire arch keystone cutwater balustrade River Stone side Thames blocks side

Henley Bridge Quiz (tick the correct box to answer the questions)

Who planned and designed the Henley Bridge and then died before the bridge was finished?

 Christopher Wren

 William Hayward

How many arches does Henley Bridge have?

 5  8  3  7

Why do you often find pubs like ‘The Angel On The Bridge’ at the entrances to bridges?

Answer

Use your binoculars and decide whether it is Isis or Tamesis who is carved on the keystone facing towards you.

 Isis  Tamesis