


Why Study the Brooklyn Bridge?
As an iconic landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge has played a central role in the development of Brooklyn and New York City since its official opening in 1883. According to a 2016 report from the New York City Department of Transportation an average of 100,000 motor vehicles, 10,000 pedestrians, and 3,500 cyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge every weekday. As a result, the Brooklyn Bridge continues to be an important part of day-to-day life in Brooklyn.
Picture This! Brooklyn Bridge is designed to help students develop visual analysis and critical thinking skills while gaining the valuable experience of doing non-text-based research.
Picture This!: Brooklyn Bridge includes:
- Primary and secondary materials from the BHS collection and other archives, including photographs, newspapers, and magazine articles.
- Critical thinking questions and document-analysis activities to help students observe, question, analyze and interpret the material.
- A Teacher’s Guide, with lesson plans, historical background information, time lines, teaching ideas, guiding questions, extension activities, and reproducible activity sheets.
Thanks to Our Partners
Our Brooklyn Bridge Case Study program, including free walking tours, in-class sessions, and an educational video, have been made possible by generous funding from National Grid.