Brooklyn Bridge – May 18th, 2018

Dear Third Grade Families,

Our class had an exciting week, full of music and motion!

Brooklyn Bridge

Over the past few weeks, students have been learning all about bridges! In Science, they learned the best shapes to use in bridge building, how caissons work, and how cables are put together. In Social Studies, they learned how the Brooklyn Bridge was designed and created, all about the Roebling family who managed the building, and about the workers who did the physical labor.

After much patience, the students were able to visit the bridge itself! The fun began on the bus, with some impromptu singing of Erie Canal and New York, New York.

We first went to the Brooklyn Historical Society, where we met with docents and the students got to show off their Brooklyn Bridge expertise! The students saw paintings, sketches and artifacts from before and just after the bridge was built. Next, after walking to Cadman Plaza, we did an experiment to show how caissons work — very similar to what the students did in Science. Using a dish of water and a cup, the students created a mini-caisson, pushing the cup down on top of the water and trapping air inside. For our miniature caisson, this meant that the inside of the cup stayed dry, but for the life size version, it meant that the workers who built the bridge could work under water!

Finally, we walked on the Brooklyn Bridge! The students were able to touch and shake the cables, to feel just how strong they still are. Docents asked the third graders to see the shapes and structures they’ve been learning about up close, examining the structure of the Brooklyn Bridge. They saw a plaque dedicated to Emily Roebling, and did another experiment. Students needs to count the cars that went by on the bridge’s lower level, finding how many went by in a minute, an hour, a day, a week, and a year!

New York Play Rehearsals

Our class has been working very hard on rehearsals for the New York Play on June 15th! We are practicing three songs: Erie Canal; New York, New York; and New York State of Mind, along with staging the five scenes. The class has been practicing with Hilary, Eyal and Johanna to learn the music, dance routines, and scenes. They are having a lot of fun and are contributing great ideas to the production! Enjoy this behind the scenes sneak peek!