Why Do Some Buildings Touch the Sky?
In New York City, one building called the Empire State Building has 102 floors! That is so tall that clouds sometimes float right past its top windows. But right next to it, you might see a tiny shop with just one floor. Why are some buildings so tall and others so short?
What You'll Learn
- Why cities build some buildings very tall - What a building needs to stand up straight and strong - How the job of a building changes its shape - How to spot different building types in your own town
Crowded Cities Need to Grow UP
In a big city, land is like a small pizza that everyone wants a slice of. There is only so much ground to build on! So instead of spreading out, builders stack floor on top of floor. A tall building called a skyscraper can hold thousands of people who all work or live on the same small patch of ground.
What Keeps a Tall Building From Falling?
Tall buildings have a strong skeleton inside made of steel beams, just like your bones hold up your body. This skeleton is called a frame. Deep underground, thick concrete called a foundation grabs the earth like roots grab soil, so wind cannot push the building over.
Stack small blocks or cups into a tower. Notice how a wide, sturdy bottom holds up more floors than a skinny one -- that's exactly why skyscrapers have deep foundations!
Short Buildings Have Jobs Too
Not every building needs to be tall. A small bakery or a one-floor school doesn't need hundreds of rooms, so it stays low to the ground. Houses in the suburbs, where land is easier to find, usually spread out sideways instead of stacking up.
Match each building clue to the right building type.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
Why do cities build very tall skyscrapers instead of spreading out?
What is the steel skeleton inside a tall building called?
Design Your Own Block City
Using blocks, cups, or boxes, build one tall tower and one row of short buildings next to it. Draw a picture of your mini city and label which building is the skyscraper and which are the short shops or houses. Explain in one sentence why you made each one that height.
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