Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archive Grade Level: 3-7 Subject: Math

Golden Gate Math

For an interesting twist to Math class, take a numerical look at the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the History, Facts, and Figures at http://www.goldengate.org/History/Page3.html. Using the available figures, math teachers can come up with some interesting ways to provide practice with basic calculations while students learn a bit of history about this famous structure.

The width of the bridge is 90 feet (27 meters). There are two sidewalks that are 10 feet (3 meters) wide each. What is the width of the roadway? If the average car is 6 feet (1.8 meters) wide, how many vehicles could be lined up side by side across the width of the bridge (excluding the width of the sidewalks)? Students can provide answers in either feet or meters depending on specific lesson objectives. 

To help students better understand length, help them measure off a piece of yarn, string, or rope 3 meters long. Let groups estimate how many students it will take to line up, shoulder to shoulder, along the length of the yarn. Then, have students line up and check their estimation. Repeat with a piece of yarn that is 27 meters long. The total length of the bridge is 8,981 feet (2737 meters). Using what was learned with the 27 meter-long piece of yarn, approximately how many people could stand shoulder to shoulder along the length of the bridge? 

If the average car being approximately 9 feet long, how many cars would fit bumper-to-bumper along the length of the bridge? To explore the concept of area, multiply the number of cars long by the number of cars wide to see how many cars could hypothetically be found on the bridge at one time! 

Scroll on down this page to find facts and figures dealing with vehicle crossings on the Golden Gate Bridge. The numbers found here could be used for practice in identifying place value. Check out the total annual vehicle crossings. Which number shows the hundred thousands place? What about the millions place? Look at the total vehicle crossings since the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. There are two 5's. What place values do they represent? This number represents the total through November 1998. Assuming that the yearly average will be the same for 1999, what will the total vehicle crossings number be through November 1999? 

Looking at the toll revenues, the average daily toll comes to $159,244. If the toll charge per vehicle is $3.00, how many vehicles cross the bridge on an average day? In the Toll History section, students can read the chronology of the Golden Gate Bridge tolls from the opening to the present. Compare a week's toll charge in March 1974 to a week's charge for the opening week. The bridge opened in 1937. How many years has it been in use? 

During this unit of study, don't miss the spectacular photos of the bridge construction that are available at http://www.goldengate.org/Misc/Photos1.html. Students will enjoy learning a little history about this famous structure — especially since they know so much about its dimensions. Check the FAQ page to learn some interesting facts about bridge maintenance. Possibilities abound for linking these lessons to art, literature, science, and history. 

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