Download Higher and Higher: Amazing Skyscrapers Grade level

Assignment Discovery Online Curriculum
Lesson title:
Higher and Higher: Amazing Skyscrapers
Grade level:
6-8
Subject area:
Science and Technology
Duration:
One class period
Objectives:
Students will
1. understand some of the building basics used by engineers and architects to design some of the
world’s largest skyscrapers,
2. identify unique features of at least one skyscraper, and
3. explain the different responsibilities of architects and various engineers who design and build
skyscrapers.
Materials:
The class will need the following:
• Computers with Internet access (optional but very helpful)
Each group of three or four students will need the following:
• One large piece of poster board or butcher paper
• Sticky notes of various sizes
• Index cards with tape (or more sticky notes)
• One ruler, yardstick, or measuring tape
• Colored markers
• Crayons
Each student will need the following:
• Paper
• Pencils and pens
• One copy of Take-Home Activity Sheet: Careers in Engineering and Architecture
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This lesson plan can be enhanced by purchasing the documentary Skyscrapers: Art and
Architecture from our School Store. The documentary airs on the Discovery Channel on
February 13, March 20, April 24, and May 29.
Procedures:
1. Help students brainstorm the names of some famous skyscrapers. Many are probably
familiar with the Empire State Building in New York City or the Sears Tower in Chicago.
Have a brief discussion about why people build such giant buildings. For example, they are
efficient in crowded cities because they provide maximum office or living space while taking
up a small amount of ground. They have also become cultural or industrial icons and a source
of pride for the city in which they are found.
2. Now create your own skyline in your classroom or in a nearby hall. Begin by dividing the
class into five groups. Assign each group to the following skyscrapers: Petronas Towers,
Sears Tower, Chrysler Building, or Empire State Building. Have the groups answer the
following questions about their skyscraper:
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Where is the skyscraper located?
When was it completed? How long did the construction take?
How tall is it?
What materials were used in its construction?
Who was the architect who designed the building? What were some of the goals the
architect was trying to accomplish? Do you think he or she succeeded in meeting those
objectives?
During what year(s) was it the tallest building in the world? When, if ever, did it lose its
title? Where does this building rank today among the tallest in the world?
What materials or technology enabled it to surpass the heights of previously constructed
skyscrapers?
How many people visit this skyscraper each day/week/month/year?
What were some of the challenges involved in building it?
Were any people injured or killed during the building process?
What are some important events that took place in this skyscraper?
The following Web sites are good sources of information about these buildings:
Famous Skyscraper Web Sites
Petronas Towers
http://www.skyscraper.org/tallest/t_petronas.htm
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/skyscrapers/tallest/petro.html
http://www.klcc.com.my/Showcase/PTT/ps_ptt_overview.htm
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http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/petronas_towers.html
Sears Tower
http://www.skyscraper.org/tallest/t_sears.htm
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/skyscrapers/tallest/sears.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/sears_tower.html
Chrysler Building
http://www.skyscraper.org/tallest/t_chrysler.htm
http://www.luciddreams.com/chryslerbuilding/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/chrysler.html
Empire State Building
http://www.skyscraper.org/tallest/t_empire.htm
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/skyscrapers/tallest/esb.html
http://www.esbnyc.com/html/history.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/empire_state.html
General Skyscraper Web Sites
Reaching New Heights: The History of Skyscrapers
http://www.historychannel.com/skyscrapers/
World’s Tallest Towers (chart/bar graph)
http://www.skyscraper.org/tallest/tallest.htm
New York City Skyscrapers
http://members.nbci.com/iNetwork/NYC/nyc.html
The Skyscraper’s Buildings page
http://www.iit.edu/~boonchv/building.html
3. Create a skyline in the class or nearby hallway. After the groups complete their research,
have each create an illustration, drawn to scale, of its skyscraper on piece of poster board or
on butcher paper. Each group should use the same scale, such as 1 foot of illustration = 100
feet of actual skyscraper. The actual scale you select with depend on the wall space available.
At the bottom of the illustration, ask them to include a stick figure of a 5-foot person for size
comparison.
4. Then have students create an index card with basic facts about the building (name, year built,
location). Then have them write 5-10 fun facts about the building on sticky notes and post
them around their illustration.
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5. Assign the Take-Home Sheet: Careers in Engineering and Architecture as homework. Have
students bring in their sheets and discuss their ideas. Take a poll of which careers the
students found the most appealing. Did one career stand out as that in which most students
are interested?
Adaptation for older students:
Older students might enjoy the challenge of creating three-dimensional models of their
skyscrapers. Students could make their models by carving Styrofoam, stacking Legos or K’nex,
cutting and bending cardboard, or cutting and gluing balsa wood. High school students may also
be interested in creating a research presentation about the organization that monitors the world’s
tallest buildings, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; their Web site is
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inctbuh/inctbuh.html.
Questions:
1. How do engineers make skyscrapers strong enough to withstand earthquakes, high winds, and
severe changes in temperature?
2. If you could visit any skyscraper in the world, which one would you pick? Why?
3. How do you think a skyscraper enhances a city? Why does it instill pride in a city’s
residents? Try to find some evidence to support your ideas.
4. If you could design a new skyscraper for your town or city, what would it look like? What
material(s) would you use to create it? What design elements might you use that reflect your
town’s history, culture, or icons?
5. What are some dangers involved in the construction of skyscrapers? What precautions are
taken to minimize the risks?
6. Do you think skyscrapers are a good way to deal with space constraints in urban areas? Do
you think the advantages of skyscrapers outweigh the disadvantages? Provide evidence to
support your answer.
Evaluation:
Students should be able to work together in their groups; create an accurate, attractive illustration
of a skyscraper; and find some interesting facts about their skyscraper. Use the following threepoint rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson:
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Three points: Students worked together well in their groups, created a skyscraper that
was visually and factually accurate, displayed creativity and careful planning, and adhered
to the required scale. Students also found many interesting facts about their skyscraper.
Two points: Students worked together adequately in their groups and created a
skyscraper illustration that was mostly accurate, showed some creative ideas and
forethought, and adhered to the required scale. Students also found some interesting facts
about their skyscraper.
One point: Students had trouble working together in their group and created a skyscraper
illustration that showed little planning, included minimal information or much inaccurate
information, and ignored the scale determined by the class. Students were not able to find
many interesting facts about their skyscraper.
Extensions:
Repair a Skyscraper in Distress
Ask students to imagine that they are on a committee of civil engineers and architects asked to
figure out how to repair a troubled building. What information would they need to solve the
problem? What questions would they ask? The PBS Web site presents scenarios about troubled
buildings that students can use for this activity:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/skyscraper/challenge/index.html
Get a Load of This!
This interactive lab presents real-life conditions that affect structures, such as temperature, wind,
and vibration. This site’s animation enables students to see how reinforcements can stabilize
structures. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/lab/loads.html
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Suggested Readings:
Skyscrapers: How America Grew Up
John B. Severance, Holiday House, 2000.
The creation of the modern skyscraper depended not only on engineering and architectural
advances, but on other innovations as well - from elevators to electricity to air conditioning. This
book looks at the history of some of the most famous skyscrapers, describes several different
types of skyscraper architecture, and details many of the innovations that made these giant
buildings possible.
Skyscrapers: Form and Function
David Bennett, Simon & Schuster, 1995.
Skyscrapers are indeed a necessary blend of form and function - and this book explains how both
are integrated to make beautiful buildings that work. Hundreds of wonderful photographs and
intricate illustrations, including several that fold out to reveal more detail.
Vocabulary:
compression
Definition: A pressing force that squeezes a material so that it becomes more compact.
Context: The lower columns of a skyscraper are squeezed by compression.
concrete
Definition: A mixture of water, sand, small stones, and cement.
Context: The sidewalk near my school is made of concrete.
foundation
Definition: The part of a building that’s below the ground.
Context: Before construction on the skyscraper began, the engineers figured out what kind of
material to use for the foundation.
steel
Definition: An alloy of iron and carbon that is hard, strong, and malleable.
Context: The Sears Tower contains enough steel to build 50,000 automobiles.
superstructure
Definition: The part of a skyscraper that is above the ground.
Context: The superstructure of that skyscraper is 1,200 feet tall.
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wind load
Definition: The force of wind blowing against the sides of a building.
Context: In skyscrapers more than 40 stories tall, the wind load has a tremendous impact on the
building.
Academic standards:
Grade level:
6-8
Subject area:
Science
Standard: Understands the scientific enterprise.
Benchmark: Knows that people of all backgrounds and with diverse interests, talents, qualities,
and motivations engage in fields of science and engineering; some of these people work in teams,
and others work alone, but all communicate extensively with others.
Grade level:
6-8
Subject area:
Technology
Standard: Understands the nature of technological design.
Benchmark: Implements a proposed design (e.g., organizes materials and other resources, plans
one’s work, makes use of group collaboration when appropriate, chooses suitable tools and
techniques, works with appropriate measurement methods to ensure accuracy).
Grade level:
6-8
Subject area:
Technology
Standard: Understands the nature of technological design.
Benchmark: Evaluates the ability of a technological design to meet purpose criteria (e.g.,
considers factors that might affect acceptability and suitability for intended users or beneficiaries;
develops measures of quality with respect to these factors), suggests improvements, and tries
proposed modifications.
Credit:
Jordan D. Brown, a freelance author in New York City, enjoys writing books, magazines and
Web sites for kids and teachers.
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DiscoverySchool.com
http://www.discoveryschool.com
Copyright 2000 Discovery.com.
Teachers may reproduce copies of these materials for classroom use only.
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Take-Home Activity Sheet:
Higher and Higher:Amazing Skyscrapers
Name:
Careers in Engineering and Architecture
Creating skyscrapers often takes the hard work and cooperation of thousands of talented
people. Below are descriptions of five jobs related to engineering and architecture. Write
a paragraph describing which job you find the most interesting.
ARCHITECT: Long before construction starts, architects make sketches and small models
of the building. Much of an architect’s job involves communicating ideas in writing and
verbally to both clients and construction crews.
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: After meeting with the architect and the various engineers,
the construction manager makes sure that the building follows the plans from A to Z. This
job requires attention to detail, careful organization, and excellent communication skills.
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER: Our planet holds many surprises, such as earthquakes. A
geotechnical engineer is a scientist who helps evaluate the best places for creating buildings,
roads, tunnels, and bridges. This person also helps figure out the best way to stabilize the
foundations for buildings.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER:The internal systems of a skyscraper, such as the lights, elevators,
heaters, and computers, require huge amounts of electricity to operate. To make sure that
these features run smoothly, electrical engineers determine what electrical devices should
be used and how the electricity should flow through buildings.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: A person in this position uses his or her knowledge of physics
and materials to make sure that structures such as buildings, tunnels, bridges, and dams are
sturdy and can handle pressures of daily use, weather, and natural disasters. Millions of
lives will eventually rely on decisions this engineer makes.
Which job do you think is the most interesting? Why?