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Table of Contents
The Golden Gate Bridge is a bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, California. It spans the Golden Gate strait that connects San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
See the fact file below for more information on the Golden Gate Bridge or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Golden Gate Bridge worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Historical Background
- Construction of the bridge began in 1933 and was completed in 1937.
- Joseph Strauss designed the existing bridge’s structure but engineering student James Wilkins was the one who first proposed the structure to connect the city of San Francisco with Marin County.
- Strauss, a drawbridge engineer, proposed to build a suspension bridge with an estimated budget of $17 million.
- When the bridge opened on May 27, 1937, a week-long celebration took place.
- On opening day, over 200,000 people crossed the bridge on foot or using roller skates. Vehicles were allowed to pass the next day upon its inauguration by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- There’s a Silver Moon on the Golden Gate is the official song commemorating the opening of the bridge.
- On its 50th anniversary celebration, the bridge was again closed to vehicles and opened to pedestrians.
- The construction of the bridge faced financial problems after the Wall Street Crash of 1929.
- In 1932, Bank of America President, Amadeo Giannini, pushed the project forward by agreeing to buy bonds to raise construction funds.
Golden Gate Engineers
- The construction project was designed by Strauss’ team of engineers and was executed by the McClintic-Marshall Construction Co.
- Joseph Strauss was the head of the project and was responsible for the overall design.
- Leon Moisseiff came up with the final bridge design. Moisseiff was also the engineer of the Manhattan Bridge in New York City.
- Irving Morrow designed the overall shape of the bridge towers, the lighting, street lights, railing, walkways and the tower decorations. Morrow was responsible for the color of the bridge, which is International Orange.
- Charles Alton Ellis was the principal engineer of the bridge. He worked closely with Morrow.
Defining Figures and Features
- The bridge spans 1.7 miles across the Golden Gate strait and is 90 feet wide.
- Its towers are 746 ft. high, making it the tallest bridge until 1993.
- Its main span length of 4,200 ft. was the longest in the world until the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge finished construction in New York City in 1964. It’s now the second longest.
- On the San Francisco side of the bridge, the Bridge Round House diner, also dubbed the Bridge Pavilion, was built in 2012.
- On the Marin side of the bridge is the H. Dana Bower Rest Area and Vista Point.
- Engineer Strauss wrote a poem titled The Mighty Task is Done, which can be found on the bridge.
At last the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun
The Bridge looms mountain high;
Its titan piers grip ocean floor,
Its great steel arms link shore with shore,
Its towers pierce the sky.
– First stanza of “The Mighty Task is Done”
Descriptive Titles
- It is a famous international symbol of the city of San Francisco.
- The American Society of Civil Engineers named the Golden Gate Bridge as one of the Wonders of the Modern World.
- It is also one of the most photographed bridges in the world.
Bridge Deaths
- Eleven men were killed from falls during the construction of the bridge. Men who survived the fall formed a club called the Halfway to Hell Club.
- The Golden Gate Bridge is the second most used suicide bridge in the world. Close to 1,600 bodies have been recovered since the opening of the bridge up to 2012.
Pop Culture
- The Golden Gate Bridge has been featured in two documentaries: The Bridge and Life After People.
- The bridge can be seen in the 1999 film Bicentennial Man and Marvel film The Hulk.
- The Gant Bridge in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas takes after the Golden Gate Bridge.
Golden Gate Bridge Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Golden Gate Bridge across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Golden Gate Bridge worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Golden Gate Bridge which is a bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, California. It spans the Golden Gate strait that connects San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Golden Gate Bridge Facts
- Exploring San Francisco
- Bridges Around the World
- True or False
- Team Golden Gate
- Picture Jumble
- Figure It Out!
- Documentary Differences
- Insta-Golden Gate
- Tour Guide Script
- The Mighty Task
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Link will appear as Golden Gate Bridge Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 1, 2018
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.