Bridge to Terabithia

thingiverse

The Book Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is often read in Middle School literature classes as part of the curriculum, a well-loved children's novel. Imagination is at the forefront of the book, a core theme that has sparked numerous classroom projects over the years. In this activity students are asked to create and explain their design for a bridge leading to the mystical land of Terabithia, an assignment meant to unlock the creative potential of each student. To accomplish this project students were given a range of materials from which they could choose including the option to use computer-aided design (CAD) programs such as Tinkercad.com. The objective is simple: build a bridge leading to Terabithia using anything they desire. In this assignment, a prompt helps spark student creativity: "Everyone has a story to tell and Jess certainly does." This meeting of minds turns his world around in a significant way; he's led down the magical path with a simple swing on a rope which births the mystical land of Terabithia. To create their own imaginative bridge students have several questions to ponder, among them: What kind of design will I come up with? And most importantly what materials should I use for this innovative creation? Using anything from wood, plastic, or maybe 3D printing they need to be resourceful as well as ingenious when creating the ultimate bridge. This creative challenge has inspired numerous student bridges built using various materials such as craft supplies and digital programs. The end product is not merely a design concept but an imaginative story written by the students describing why they selected specific features and the inspiration behind it all. Project Conclusion Objective: Design, create and describe their very own bridge to Terabithia Audience: Middle School literature class or other young readers Preparation: Assigned project given to students following completion of novel discussions. Step-by-Step Approach Assignment Description Imagination Unleashed! Every person has a story to tell. When Jess meets Leslie his life takes on an unpredictable turn. This one action opens up the door to magic in what we now call Terabithia. Now it is our students' turn to unleash their imagination and imagine that magical world which needs its entrance point created for us, they are encouraged to pick out all sorts of building supplies that will meet this unique request. Add a paragraph discussing your selection Why do you choose the design? How can I bring together materials? Remember creativity can flow endlessly as you get creative! Students showed an impressive amount of resourcefulness in coming up with imaginative designs, resulting in some eye-catching examples on display for everyone to view and comment on.