Tower 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/tower-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. How long is Tower Bridge?244 meters (801 feet)
2. How tall is Tower Bridge?65 meters (213 feet)
3. What is the location?River Thames, London, England
4. What is the architectural style?Victorian Gothic Revival
5. How does Tower Bridge lift?The bridge has two 27.5-meter bascules that are counterbalanced. Steam engines originally pumped water to lift them, and now an electro-hydraulic system does it. It opens to about 83 degrees in about a minute.
6. When was Tower Bridge built?Construction started in 1886 and finished in 1894. It opened on June 30, 1894, with the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra.

Bascule: A movable bridge span that pivots upwards on a trunnion, counterbalanced to facilitate operation.
Hydraulic Power: The use of pressurized liquid, typically oil or water, to transmit force and perform work.