The Iron Bridge

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/the-iron-bridge

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Shropshire, England, spanning the River Severn
2. What is the year opened?1781
3. Why was the Iron Bridge built?People needed a strong bridge across the River Severn so that boats could travel safely. The area had lots of coal, iron ore, and limestone, making cast iron a good choice.
4. How did engineers make the Iron Bridge?Thomas Farnolls Pritchard designed a cast‑iron arch, and Abraham Darby III produced the iron parts in a factory. The pieces were assembled over two years to create a 100‑foot span.

Cast Iron: A ferrous alloy with a carbon content typically between 2% and 4%, known for its compressive strength, hardness, and castability.
Glacial Action: The erosional and depositional processes caused by the movement and melting of glaciers.
Industrial Revolution: A period of profound technological, socioeconomic, and cultural change, originating in Great Britain in the late 18th century, characterized by mechanization and factory production.
Scheduled Monument: A nationally important archaeological site or historic building that is legally protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act.