Download Summaries for Jigsaw Activity: “Breaker`s Bridge” How to Build

Summaries for Jigsaw Activity: “Breaker’s Bridge”
How to Build Bridges
#1.
Extreme Engineering: Building the Charleston Bridge. A group of 20 bridge builders set
out to build a new bridge in place of old steel “spans” or “bridge legs.” “Cable stay
structures” are the latest in bridge design. They are built with one or more large towers and
lots of steel tethers connecting the road to the tower(s). Though they look pretty, they are
hard to build because the longer the span between the towers the more tethers need to be
used and the more difficult the bridge is to build.
#2.
Extreme Engineering: Constructing a Bridge. When building a bridge, the workers must
share equipment with the workers on the other towers. Frequently, they must finish
construction on their section of the bridge in just a few hours. However, they cannot
sacrifice quality or the bridge section will collapse. The crane operator must work quickly
and efficiently. The goal is to get the portions of the bridge as equal and squarely seated on
the beams as possible. It all comes down to the math of getting everything equal.
#3.
Steel Bridges: Some of the most famous bridges are steel, including the Golden Gate
Bridge. Before steel, stone was used for strength and rope was used for flexibility, but you
couldn’t create a bridge that used both. Engineers needed a material that was both strong
and flexible. Steel is perfect for bridge because it can hold a lot of weight (like stone) and
is flexible (like rope). In addition, steel can span distances that wood, rope, and rocks
simply cannot.
Greatest Emperors of China
#1.
Empress Wu Zetian (624-705) was the only female empress to sit on the throne, and she
ruled for almost 50 years. She was very involved in politics and founded her own dynasty,
the Zhou dynasty. She tried to help women in China gain more education and power. She
challenged many idea of Confucianism, which said women should not be rulers. Overall,
she was a good ruler and she helped with agricultural development.
#2.
Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) ruled during the feudal period in China. He felt agriculture
was very important and stopped raising taxes for a number of years. He worked with
various ethnic groups fairly and helped relationships in China. He was a talented poet and
calligrapher, in fact, he published five books of poetry.
#3.
Song Taizy (1162-1227) was the founder of the Song dynasty. He was a commander in the
army who became emperor when his troops asked him to lead them. He unified the
government and helped create a peaceful political environment that encouraged discussion.
That political freedom lasted for almost 100 years.
Most Insane Emperors of China
#1.
Emperor Tianzuo (1075-1128) was more interested in hunting, fishing, and playing polo
than in ruling. He had his brothers and state officials rule China instead. Unfortunately,
those men stole from China which created further problems when there was no money.
Finally, the peasants rose up against him and he was killed during the battle.
#2.
Emperor Liu Shan (207-271) ruled during the Han dynasty. He became emperor at 17, but
was seen as being incompetent. Despite having official and military support, he was
unable to accomplish anything for China. He surrendered his position and relocated to
another part of China, where he lived out his life away from politics.
#3.
Zhao Ji (1082-1135) ruled during the Song dynasty. He ruled for 16 years and is
remembered as a talented painter and calligrapher. However, he was a poor emperor, who
made terrible mistakes in terms of politics. He spent government money on clothes, food,
and parties. In addition, when his territory was being invaded, he was so afraid, he ran
away.
Famous Bridges in Ancient China
#1.
The Zhaozhou Bridge: It is the oldest arch bridge in China. It has survived for almost
1400 years! It is a stone bridge and has a single main arch supported by several small
arches. When water floods the bridge, the design allows the bridge to drain so it doesn’t
collapse.
#2.
The Lugou Bridge: is close to Beijing. It took over four years to build and is made of iron.
There are columns in-between the arches which are crowned with the carving of a lion.
When the bridge was first built, the lions all matched, but over time they have been
replaced. Now, each lion is different and the carvings are very good. Some of the lions
even have cubs added to the design. The bridge is now, not only a historical monument,
but also a tourist attraction.
#3.
The Guangzi Bridge spans the Hang River, is over 1,700 feet long, and has lasted for over
800 years. At the center of the bridge is located a floating section, which can be
disconnected when big boats need to pass down river. It has 24 different styles of towers
and arches, which attract people to look at the bridge.