Skyscrapers!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids
By Elizabeth Schmermund and Mike Crosier
()
About this ebook
Look up, up, up! How do skyscrapers get so tall? Skyscrapers are amazing feats of engineering that kids (and adults!) find fascinating. How do they get so high? How do they stay standing? Who is involved in designing and building these gravity-defying structures?
In Skyscrapers! With 25 Science Projects for Kids, elementary-aged kids learn about the principles of engineering that are used in building skyscrapers, as well as the history of skyscrapers themselves. Readers also explore the kinds of professionals that contribute to the raising of a skyscraper, from engineers to architects to constructions teams. To answer the burning question on every young engineer’s mind—how do skyscrapers stay standing?—readers discover the important designs used to build tall buildings, including the tube frame, the bundled tube frame, and x-bracing. And by following the evolution of skyscraper design, STEAM-focused students learn how structures have become more stable and more complex through the introduction of design elements and new materials.
STEAM projects for kids, including experiments with earthquake-resistant materials, testing the relative strength of different shapes, and discovering the effect of vibration on structures, offer a unique, interactive learning experience, while links to primary sources offer ample opportunity for further student-led exploration. Fun facts, engaging illustrations, timeline, glossary, and resources keep kids wanting to learn more about engineering design.
Skyscrapers! is part of a set of four Explore Engineering books. In the Explore Engineering set, readers ages 7 to 10 learn the physics behind the things they build: Why does a tower of blocks eventually fall? Why does a tunnel sometimes cave in? Through a series of focused, science-minded activities that require critical thinking paired with creative trial-and-error attempts at building, readers develop foundational understanding of the physics that guides the building and maintenance of bridges, canals, tunnels, and skyscrapers.
Titles in the Explore Engineering set include Bridges! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; Canals and Dams! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; Tunnels! With 25 Science Projects for Kids; and Skyscrapers! With 25 Science Projects for Kids.
Nomad Press books in the Explore Your World series for children ages 7–10 integrate content with participation. Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, and STEM Education all place project-based learning as key building blocks in education. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.
Related to Skyscrapers!
Related ebooks
Architecture: Cool Women Who Design Structures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBridges!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSimple Machines!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGutsy Girls Go For Science: Engineers: With Stem Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEngines!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTunnels!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBridges and Tunnels: Investigate Feats of Engineering with 25 Projects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Explore Makerspace!: With 25 Great Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNatural Disasters: Investigate Earth's Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOceans and Seas!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBe Amazing: How to teach science the way primary kids love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExplore Water!: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5STEM, Grade K Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Innovators: The Stories Behind the People Who Shaped the World with 25 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRobotics!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSTEAM Jobs in Space Exploration Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCreative Investigations in Early Engineering and Technology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExplore Flight!: With 25 Great Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSTEM Labs for Middle Grades, Grades 5 - 8 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Renaissance Inventors: With History Projects for Kids Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Computer Decoder: Dorothy Vaughan, Computer Scientist Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBe a Maker Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEllie, Engineer: The Next Level Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Magnificent Simple Machines Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCrazy Contraptions: Build Rube Goldberg Machines that Swoop, Spin, Stack, and Swivel: with Hands-On Engineering Activities Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHuman Computer: Mary Jackson, Engineer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKid Scientists: True Tales of Childhood from Science Superstars Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What's Your STEM?: Activities to Discover Your Child's Potential in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRobotics: Discover the Science and Technology of the Future with 20 Projects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Children's For You
Cedric The Shark Get's Toothache: Bedtime Stories For Children, #1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Into the Wild: Warriors #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dork Diaries 1: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty Goes to the Doctor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind-Boggling Word Puzzles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Little House on the Prairie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Shadow Is Purple Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pete the Kitty and the Unicorn's Missing Colors Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Garden: The 100th Anniversary Edition with Tasha Tudor Art and Bonus Materials Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witch of Blackbird Pond: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Crossover: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The School for Good and Evil: Now a Netflix Originals Movie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coraline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bridge to Terabithia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alice In Wonderland: The Original 1865 Unabridged and Complete Edition (Lewis Carroll Classics) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Read Literature Like a Professor: For Kids Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Number the Stars: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Alone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How To Write A Children’s Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Tower Treasure: The Hardy Boys Book 1 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Graveyard Book Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Island of the Blue Dolphins: A Newbery Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dark Is Rising Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coraline 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peter Pan Complete Text Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Amari and the Night Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Skyscrapers!
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Skyscrapers! - Elizabeth Schmermund
Titles in the Explore Engineering Set
Check out more titles at www.nomadpress.net
Nomad Press
A division of Nomad Communications
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright © 2018 by Nomad Press. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from
the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review or for limited educational use.
The trademark Nomad Press
and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc.
Educational Consultant, Marla Conn
Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to
Nomad Press
2456 Christian St.
White River Junction, VT 05001
www.nomadpress.net
Printed in the United States of America.
CONTENTS
Timeline
Introduction
Let’s Explore Skyscrapers
Chapter 1
Why Do We Need Skyscrapers?
Chapter 2
Engineering and Design
Chapter 3
Types of Skyscrapers
Chapter 4
Let the Building Begin!
Chapter 5
Famous Skyscrapers
Glossary*Metric Conversions
Resources*Essential Questions*Index
Interested in primary sources? Look for this icon. Use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR code and explore more! Photos are also primary sources because a photograph takes a picture at the moment something happens.
If the QR code doesn’t work, there’s a list of URLs on the Resources page. Or, try searching the internet with the Keyword Prompts to find other helpful sources.
KEYWORD PROMPTS
TIMELINE
1853:
American inventor Elisha Graves Otis develops an elevator with a safety device that keeps an elevator from falling down the shaft if the elevator cable breaks.
LATE 1800s:
Steel, instead of iron, starts to be used in buildings. The lower-weight steel allows much taller structures to be built.
JANUARY 4, 1885:
The world’s first skyscraper is completed—the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, a 10-story, steel-framed building.
1889:
George A. Fuller builds the Tacoma Building using Bessemer steel beams. It is the first structure ever built in which the steel skeleton carries the load of the building, instead of the outside walls doing the job.
AUGUST 15, 1895:
The American Surety Building is completed in New York City, becoming the world’s tallest building. Architects begin to compete to build taller and grander buildings.
MARCH 12, 1930:
The Chrysler Building in New York City is completed, becoming the new world’s tallest building for a short time.
APRIL 22, 1931:
The Empire State Building is completed in New York City. At 1,250 feet, it will hold the title of world’s tallest building for 40 years.
FEBRUARY 26, 1932:
The 285-foot-tall Flatiron Building in New York City is completed. It is one of the tallest buildings in the city and is one of the first buildings to use a steel framework.
APRIL 1973:
The World Trade Center towers are completed in New York, making them the world’s tallest buildings. 1 World Trade Center is 1,355 feet tall and 2 World Trade Center is 1,348 feet tall.
SEPTEMBER 1973:
The Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower) is completed in Chicago, surpassing the World Trade Center towers as the tallest building in the world. The tower is 1,450 feet tall, and is the first building to use the bundled tube construction method that soon becomes widely used in skyscraper design.
APRIL 13, 1998:
At 1,483 feet, the Petronas Towers in Malaysia officially become the tallest buildings in the world.
DECEMBER 31, 2004:
Taipei 101 in Taiwan becomes the tallest building in the world at 1,670 feet and 101 stories.
JANUARY 2010:
The Burj Khalifa officially becomes the tallest building in the world at 2,722 feet and 160 stories.
2014:
Architect Stefano Boeri builds vertical forest skyscrapers in Milan, Italy.
INTRODUCTION
LET’S EXPLORE SKYSCRAPERS
Have you ever traveled to a big city and seen its impressive skyline? Have you ever taken an elevator up, up, up to the top of a building that towers above the rest? Then you know how inspiring skyscrapers can be!
Skyscrapers are very tall buildings. They are so tall they seem to scrape at the sky. They are normally found in medium-sized to large cities around the world. Skyscrapers are used for offices, apartments, libraries, stores, restaurants, and much more.
WORDS TO KNOW
skyline: an outline of land and buildings against the sky.
skyscraper: an extremely tall building.
technology: the tools, methods, and systems used to solve a problem or do work.
engineer: a person who uses science, math, and creativity to design and build things such as roads, bridges, and buildings.
architect: a person who designs buildings.
engineering: the work an engineer does, using science and math to design and build things.
structure: something that is built, such as a building, bridge, tunnel, tower, or dam.
Our definition of what a skyscraper is has changed during the past 100 years. This has happened as buildings have been built higher than ever before. Technology has helped engineers and architects construct taller and taller buildings.
During the nineteenth century, a skyscraper was any building that was 10 stories high or taller. But we wouldn’t consider that to be a skyscraper today. Because of modern engineering, a skyscraper today typically reaches at least 40 to 50 stories tall, or around 550 feet in the air. That’s about the size of 55 elephants stacked on