Skyscraper Museum
Building a Skyscraper
Creating buildings that reach hundreds of feet into the sky is no easy task. The third instructional activity in this series begins with four activities that engage young architects in exploring the major challenges that are faced when...
Skyscraper Museum
Designing a Skyscraper
Besides serving as awe-inspiring monuments of human achievement, skyscrapers are built to perform a wide range of functions in urban communities. The second lesson plan in this series begins by exploring the history of the Empire State...
Skyscraper Museum
What is a Skyscraper?
Skyscrapers are amazing feats of architectural design that create the iconic skylines of the world's biggest cities. Young architects explore the defining characteristics of these monstrous towers with the first lesson in this four-part...
Skyscraper Museum
Building a Skyscraper
The construction of skyscrapers is no simple undertaking, involving the careful coordination and planning of many different people. The third instructional activity in this series explores this detailed process by first teaching children...
Curated OER
Skyscrapers from New York to California
Third graders use an online database to gather information on skyscrapers. Using the information, they choose one building and record its height and location. In groups, they design a city skyline including the skyscraper they choose....
Curated OER
Pyramid Building: How to Use a Wedge
Students explore the simple machine of a wedge. In this wedge lesson, students test wedges on different materials including wax, soap, clay and foam. They learn how a wedge was used to build the ancient pyramid and modern day skyscrapers.
Museum of Science
Skyscraper Engineering
The sky's the limit when learning about engineering. Future engineers conduct an activity to learn about forces associated with skyscrapers. They design and build a model of a skyscraper from basic household materials, then test their...
Dick Blick
ArtStraw Architecture
While architects and engineers don't often build with plastic straws and foam board, the same principles still apply. Challenging both the creativity and critical thinking of students, this engaging design project is perfect for art and...
DiscoverE
Bridges, Buildings and Beyond Activity Packet: Grades 3-5
The road to a better understanding of engineering lies with bridges and tunnels. A set of four engaging activities teaches learners about engineering concepts related to construction projects. They perform an experiment to find the...
DiscoverE
Slender Tower Challenge
Looking for an engineering project that will tower above the rest? Try a design experiment that has built-in fun! Groups examine a variety of skyscraper designs, then compete to create their own slender towers. The teacher's guide is...
Curated OER
Skyscrapers
Students engineer their way through a hands-on science activity. In this architecture lesson plan, students examine dead loads and wind loads as they participate in the Skyscraper Challenge.
Skyscraper Museum
Changes in a City Over Time
Investigate the growth and development of New York City with the final lesson in this four-part series on skyscrapers. Learners first explore the concept of urban growth by looking closely at a series of three paintings made of Wall...
Curated OER
Skyscrapers: Engineering Up!
Students build their own newspaper skyscrapers with limited materials and time. They identify several different structural engineering principles relating to skyscrapers. They explain how their towers resisted the wind load.
Curated OER
Build the Tallest Building
Students examine the design and construction of skyscrapers. They use the internet to research information about different types of skyscrapers. They create their own building and defend it to the class.
101 Questions
Domino Skyscraper
Can a domino knock over a skyscraper? An inquiry-based lesson asks learners to calculate the size of domino needed to topple the Empire State Building. Using specific criteria and a geometric model, they find a solution.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Sky High
How are skyscrapers built? What does it take to make a structurally sound building? How can one work within a budget to complete a building project? These guiding questions will be investigated and answered within a hands-on...
Curated OER
Math: Skyscraper Comparison
Young scholars examine skyscrapers by conducting Internet research and by creating and interpreting graphs. After reading the book, "Skyscraper," they discuss reasons why the structures are built. Once they have researched the tallest...
Curated OER
Higher and Higher: Amazing Skyscrapers
Middle schoolers brainstorm the names of skyscrapers then get into groups and create their own skyscraper. In this architecture lesson students answer questions about their skyscraper after creating one.
Curated OER
What's Shaking? Three-Lesson Unit
Your young architects use the Internet to research tall structures or sky scrapers to help in the design of their scale drawings. This is instructional activity one of three in which learners design, build, and test model skyscrapers for...
Curated OER
Build the Tallest Building
Students study skyscrapers and how they were constructed. In this tallest building activity students construct a model of the tallest building in the world.
Curated OER
The Ups and Downs of Technology
Young scholars create a visual timeline of skyscrapers built in the past 20 years. In this physical science lesson, students research important facts about the building. They discuss the challenges architects face when building skyscrapers.
Curated OER
Shadows and Skyscrapers
Eighth graders explain the relationship between the position of the sun, a city's latitude and shadow length. Ratio's, geometry, and algebra are used to determine the shadow lengths and building heights. A sun angle (altitude) charts to...
Curated OER
Engineering: Simple Machines
Fourth graders participate in activities to examine how simple machines help build things. They identify the six types of simple machines. They discover how simple machines where use historically to build pyramids and how they are still...
Curated OER
Buildings
In this buildings worksheet, students name the buildings that are described in the sentences. Students write 10 buildings total on this worksheet.