🎯 Learning intentions
- I can research Australia's most famous bridge — the Sydney Harbour Bridge — using reliable online sources.
- I can answer 15 research questions about the SHB (opening date, span, nuts and bolts, pylons, key people, painting, etc.) — Workbook §3.
- I can identify 5 famous people associated with the SHB (Bradfield, Lang, Greenway, Hogan, deGroot) and explain their connection.
✅ Success criteria
- My Workbook §3 has all 15 Sydney Harbour Bridge questions answered.
- My Workbook famous-people chart has all 5 people filled in with reasons.
- I can write 1 sentence on WHY the SHB is continuously painted (hint: not just for looks!).
Do Now · 5 min
Quick reliability check — which source is MOST reliable for researching Sydney Harbour Bridge? Rank 1 (most) to 4 (least):
- A random TikTok about "bridge facts"
- City of Sydney official website
- Britannica encyclopedia
- A YouTube video from an unnamed channel
I Do · ~10 min Teacher demonstration
Today's focus: Sydney Harbour Bridge — Australia's most famous engineered structure. This is a culturally significant bridge for Parramatta students and will appear in your evaluation as a reference point.
1. City of Sydney: cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au → history and archives
2. Australian Explorer: australianexplorer.com
3. Wikipedia SHB page — also reliable as a starting point
Ms Gao models answering Q9 together — "How many nuts and bolts were used in the SHB?" — showing how to locate the fact, copy it into workbook, and note the source URL.
Career spotlight — civil engineer. Dr JJC Bradfield was the Queensland civil engineer who fought for 20 years to get the SHB built. He has a university (Bradfield College) and a highway named after him. Civil engineers in Australia study a 4-year B.Eng at university.
We Do · ~15 min Guided practice
Together we look at Workbook §3 and tick off the 15 questions plan:
- When was the SHB opened for public use?
- What are the SPAN, HEIGHT OF ROADWAY, HEIGHT TO ARCH TOP? (fill 3 rows)
- How many nuts and bolts were used? (modelled together)
- By what OTHER name is the SHB commonly known?
- How was the SHB tested before opening? (Was this a good method?)
- What is the function of the 4 pylons (2 north + 2 south)?
- How is the roadway supported?
- Why does the southern end roadway move horizontally?
- Complete the famous-people chart: Bradfield · Jack Lang · Francis Greenway · Paul Hogan · Captain deGroot
- Why is the SHB continuously being painted?
You Do · ~35 min Independent pair work
Workbook §3 Sydney Harbour Bridge research (35 min). Complete all 15 questions using the reliable sources above. For each answer:
- Copy the answer into your workbook.
- Write the source URL next to the answer.
- If a question has a 2-part answer (Q5 testing: "Was this a good method?"), answer BOTH parts.
Extension: After the 15, find a SIXTH reliable source on either (a) a civil engineer's career page, OR (b) a different famous bridge — annotate with 1 sentence why it's useful for your design.
Differentiation
🪜Support
3 pre-filled answer stubs (Q1, Q4, Q9 partially filled — student confirms). Paired research with Core student. Famous-people chart has pictures of all 5 people.
🎯Core
All 15 questions answered independently with source URL for each.
🚀Extension
Find a non-English-language source on the SHB (use translation tool). Propose ONE design feature of the SHB you would want to include (or avoid) in your own bridge, and why.
Exit Ticket · 5 min
On a sticky note OR workbook exit box:
- Name ONE famous person associated with the SHB (from today's research).
- What is the OTHER name the SHB is commonly known by?
- What is one thing about the SHB that INSPIRES your bridge design?
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