Lessons

Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities

Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers (photosforyou, Pixabay)

Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers (photosforyou, Pixabay)

Physics,  Science,  Technology & Engineering
Let's Talk Science

How does this align with my curriculum?

Students will design and build a model apartment building and learn how buildings such as these can be a solution for suburban sprawl.

Overview

Activities Timing Student Grouping Description
Minds-On: Research and Understand the Problem 20 minutes Large group Students review what internal and external forces are and begin to explore the purpose and uses of tall towers in the world.
Action: Design, Build and Test and Share a Prototype 40 minutes Small group Students design, build and test a tall tower.
Consolidation: Tall Towers and Sustainable Cities 20 minutes Small group Students explore the impact of tall towers on sustainable cities as a means to reduce suburban sprawl.

This lesson can be done over a few days.

Students will:

  • Learn about the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
  • Use a collaborative engineering design process and associated skills to safely design and build a structure
  • Learn about the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Learning Goals

Students will:

  • Learn about the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
  • Use a collaborative engineering design process and associated skills to safely design and build a structure
  • Learn about the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Students can:

  • Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have constructed through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
  • Successfully create a tall tower that meets established criteria
  • Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why apartment buildings can help to reduce it

Success Criteria

Students can:

  • Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have constructed through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
  • Successfully create a tall tower that meets established criteria
  • Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why apartment buildings can help to reduce it
Assessment opporunties icon

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations 

  • Observe and record anecdotally students ability to actively listen and share ideas during large group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
  • Observe and record anecdotally students' ability to follow an engineering design process (Action).
  • Listen to and record students as they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower (Action).
  • Observe and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their tall towers (Action).
  • Observe and record students’ safe use of tools and materials (Action).

Conversations

  • Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to describe their sketches in words and explain how their ideas meet the design criteria (Action).
  • Talk with students about the process of building their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them (Consolidation).

Products

  • Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan reproducible (Action).
  • Students could submit completed Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducibles (Consolidation).

Evidence of Student Learning

Assessment opporunties icon

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations 

  • Observe and record anecdotally students ability to actively listen and share ideas during large group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
  • Observe and record anecdotally students' ability to follow an engineering design process (Action).
  • Listen to and record students as they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower (Action).
  • Observe and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their tall towers (Action).
  • Observe and record students’ safe use of tools and materials (Action).

Conversations

  • Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to describe their sketches in words and explain how their ideas meet the design criteria (Action).
  • Talk with students about the process of building their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them (Consolidation).

Products

  • Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan reproducible (Action).
  • Students could submit completed Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducibles (Consolidation).

Students will:

  • Learn about the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
  • Use a collaborative engineering design process and associated skills to safely design and build a structure
  • Learn about the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Learning Goals

Students will:

  • Learn about the different effects of internal and external forces on tall towers
  • Use a collaborative engineering design process and associated skills to safely design and build a structure
  • Learn about the impacts of suburban sprawl and how building apartments can help to mitigate this problem

Students can:

  • Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have constructed through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
  • Successfully create a tall tower that meets established criteria
  • Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why apartment buildings can help to reduce it

Success Criteria

Students can:

  • Identify internal and external forces on towers that they have constructed through their labelled drawing and prototype testing
  • Successfully create a tall tower that meets established criteria
  • Identify issues associated with suburban sprawl and why apartment buildings can help to reduce it
Assessment opporunties icon

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations 

  • Observe and record anecdotally students ability to actively listen and share ideas during large group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
  • Observe and record anecdotally students' ability to follow an engineering design process (Action).
  • Listen to and record students as they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower (Action).
  • Observe and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their tall towers (Action).
  • Observe and record students’ safe use of tools and materials (Action).

Conversations

  • Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to describe their sketches in words and explain how their ideas meet the design criteria (Action).
  • Talk with students about the process of building their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them (Consolidation).

Products

  • Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan reproducible (Action).
  • Students could submit completed Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducibles (Consolidation).

Evidence of Student Learning

Assessment opporunties icon

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Observations 

  • Observe and record anecdotally students ability to actively listen and share ideas during large group discussions (Minds-on, Consolidation).
  • Observe and record anecdotally students' ability to follow an engineering design process (Action).
  • Listen to and record students as they share ideas for the criteria of the tall tower (Action).
  • Observe and record using audio or video how students plan to go about building their tall towers (Action).
  • Observe and record students’ safe use of tools and materials (Action).

Conversations

  • Talk with students about their design sketches. Encourage students to describe their sketches in words and explain how their ideas meet the design criteria (Action).
  • Talk with students about the process of building their tall towers, including challenges they encountered and how they overcame them (Consolidation).

Products

  • Students could submit their notes and drawings that are part of the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan reproducible (Action).
  • Students could submit completed Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducibles (Consolidation).

 

Materials and Preparation 

Material/Technology/Setting Quantity
  • Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, science notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.)
  • Measuring tools (e.g., rulers)
  • Fasteners (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, packing tape, pipe cleaners, glue, string, elastic bands, twist ties)
  • Cutting/punching tools (e.g., scissors, sharpened pencils)
  • Other materials (e.g., recycled newspaper or other recycled paper products, paper straws, craft sticks, etc. )
  • Items for weight (e.g., lego people or lego blocks)
 For small group work
1 per group
For teacher use

 

Materials

Material/Technology/Setting Quantity
  • Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, science notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.)
  • Measuring tools (e.g., rulers)
  • Fasteners (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, packing tape, pipe cleaners, glue, string, elastic bands, twist ties)
  • Cutting/punching tools (e.g., scissors, sharpened pencils)
  • Other materials (e.g., recycled newspaper or other recycled paper products, paper straws, craft sticks, etc. )
  • Items for weight (e.g., lego people or lego blocks)
 For small group work
1 per group
For teacher use

 

  • Collect the materials that students will use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
  • Demonstrate how to safely and correctly use all the tools that are provided.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Design & Build (Engineering design) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
  • Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.

Preparation

  • Collect the materials that students will use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
  • Demonstrate how to safely and correctly use all the tools that are provided.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Design & Build (Engineering design) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
  • Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.
  • Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

Student Prior Knowledge and Skills

  • Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.
Material/Technology/Setting Quantity
  • Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, science notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.)
  • Measuring tools (e.g., rulers)
  • Fasteners (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, packing tape, pipe cleaners, glue, string, elastic bands, twist ties)
  • Cutting/punching tools (e.g., scissors, sharpened pencils)
  • Other materials (e.g., recycled newspaper or other recycled paper products, paper straws, craft sticks, etc. )
  • Items for weight (e.g., lego people or lego blocks)
 For small group work
1 per group
For teacher use

 

Materials

Material/Technology/Setting Quantity
  • Designing and recording tools (e.g., pencils, erasers, coloured pencils, paper, science notebooks, cameras, sticks, rock, dirt, etc.)
  • Measuring tools (e.g., rulers)
  • Fasteners (e.g., masking tape, duct tape, packing tape, pipe cleaners, glue, string, elastic bands, twist ties)
  • Cutting/punching tools (e.g., scissors, sharpened pencils)
  • Other materials (e.g., recycled newspaper or other recycled paper products, paper straws, craft sticks, etc. )
  • Items for weight (e.g., lego people or lego blocks)
 For small group work
1 per group
For teacher use

 

  • Collect the materials that students will use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
  • Demonstrate how to safely and correctly use all the tools that are provided.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Design & Build (Engineering design) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
  • Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.

Preparation

  • Collect the materials that students will use to construct the towers. Pre-cut any materials that are not safe or practical for students to cut in the classroom.
  • Demonstrate how to safely and correctly use all the tools that are provided.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Design & Build (Engineering design) process since students will be using this throughout the lesson.
  • Review the slideshow in advance so you are familiar with where the animations occur.
  • Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

Student Prior Knowledge and Skills

  • Some familiarity with internal and external forces and how they occur.

 

Teaching and Learning Activities 

Assessment opporunties icon

This icon indicates potential assessment opportunities

Minds-On: Research and Understand the Problem (10 minutes) 

Instructions Teaching Tips

Activate prior knowledge by asking students to describe what a tower is and to name examples of tall towers that they know.

During the discussion use a search engine to look up some of the towers that come up in conversation with the students.
Line drawing of two gears next to each other

Community Connections

Encourage students to share examples from countries or places that have significance to them as well as any they have seen while travelling.

Review the concepts of internal and external forces. In doing so, you may wish to show students this video that explains the external forces acting on structures and this video that explains the internal forces.

It would also be useful to review the types of geometric shapes found in structures.
line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

You could demonstrate how external forces could be applied by bending or twisting a plastic ruler, stretching a slinky toy or squeezing a sponge.

Line drawing of speech bubbles

Discussions

Some discussion prompts can include:

  • “What is an external force?”
  • “Where do external forces happen?”
  • “What is an internal force?”
  • “Where do external forces happen?”

 

Action: Design, Build and Test and Share Prototype (40-50

minutes)

Instructions Teaching Tips
Assessment opporunties icon

Go through the Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities slideshow with students [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF]. Use the title of each slide as a guide for classroom discussion.

""
First slide of the Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities slideshow (©2022 Let’s Talk Science).

Pause the slideshow on slide 6 for students to begin the Design and Build activity. The final slides will be used during the consolidation activity.

 

line drawing of person on a computer screen with video icon

Images and Videos

For students who are visually impaired, use the descriptions provided in the alt text to describe the images. You could also use manipulatives to support students with low vision.

As a class, have students co-construct success criteria that their prototype tall tower must meet.

Note:
Some suggested criteria to make the process and outcome more successful:

  • Tower must use a minimum of two different geometrical shapes in its construction
  • Tower must have as many floors as possible
  • Tower must be stable (i.e., not tip over)
  • Each floor must be able to bear a certain amount of weight (e.g., LEGO® people or LEGO® blocks)
    • Similar weights should be used by all students to ensure a fair comparison
  • Tower must be built out of the provided materials and fasteners only
  • Tower must be free-standing and not attached to any external structures or supports (e.g. walls, desks, ceiling), with the exception of the floor if desired

Students could use the Tall Tower Checklist [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] as a way to ensure their prototype fits the success criteria.

""
Tall Tower Checklist reproducible (©2022 Let’s Talk Science).
Line drawing of speech bubbles

Discussions

During brainstorming, ask students questions about how they can successfully reach this outcome. Some potential questions could be:

  • During brainstorming, ask students questions about how they can successfully reach this outcome. Some potential questions could be:
  • “What kinds of challenges do you think you could face?”
  • "What connecting materials are you going to use?"
  • "What tools might you need for building the tower?"
  • "What things could you look at as inspiration for your tower design?"
line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

The checklist can be modified to meet the criteria that are chosen.

line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

The engineers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc. who build buildings in the real world, have to follow specifications to ensure safety of the people living or working in the building as well as features the person paying for the building wants included. Checklists, such as this, are often used to make sure nothing is missed in a real world build.

Have students practice making checklists and brainstorm what they think engineers would include.
Assessment opporunties icon

Have students complete the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF].

""
First page of the Build a Tall Tower Design Sketch Plan (©2022 Let’s Talk Science).
line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

On a whiteboard or chalkboard demonstrate how to label a design image. Show students how to label the materials they will be using and the different parts of the design. Ensure students understand how to include measurements on their design plan.

line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

Students could use a digital program such as Google Draw or Jamboard to design their prototypes.

Line drawing of speech bubbles

Discussions

You could encourage and guide the students’ engineering design process with the following questions:

  • "Why do engineers label all of the parts of their design sketches?"
  • "How are you going to represent each part of the tower structure in the design sketch?"
  • "How will you get the tower to remain stable and not tip over as it is being built?"
  • “How will you get your tower to hold weight?”
Assessment opporunties icon

Have students build their tall tower based on the Design Sketch Plan.

As they build the tower, have them use the reminders from the Design Sketch Plan to test the strength of the tower as they work, and encourage them to document this process and revise if required.

On the final page of the plan, have students draw an image, or add a photograph, of their final tower. 

Students will label the drawing showing the locations of internal and external forces.

Example tower with three floors and bolts used as standardized weights
Example tower with three floors and bolts used as standardized weights (©2022 Let’s Talk Science).
Image - Text Version

Shown is a colour photograph of a tower made from paper, straws and tape, on the floor.

The tower has beams and columns made from straws taped together. The roof and floor of each storey is made from white paper. Piles of metal nuts weigh down the second and third storeys.

 
line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

As students build their towers, have them test if each floor of the building can bear weight by having them place LEGO® people or LEGO® blocks on them.

line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

Students could describe the forces on their towers in the form of a video, such as flipgrid.

After confirming the towers meet the listed requirements, use a metre stick or measuring tape, record the heights of each of the towers and recognize the winning team.
line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

In the construction of large, complex buildings, much of the work done in planning, designing and making sure the work is done according to the specifications and requirements, is carried out by Civil Engineers. These are people who use their scientific knowledge of forces and properties of materials to solve real world problems such as building a tower that does not fall down. Engineers use the knowledge created by scientists to build technology to solve real world problems.

In a whole class brainstorm, ask students to list as many different types of jobs people would do in building a real skyscraper. The list should include architects, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, engineers, people who pour concrete, people who weld metal frames, people who keep the budgets, people who make sure everyone gets paid, etc.

 

Consolidation: Tall Towers and Sustainable Cities (20 minutes)

Instructions Teaching Tips

Open the Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities slideshow [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF] on slide 7. Use the title of each slide as a guide for classroom discussion.

""
Slide 7 of the Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities slideshow (©2022 Let’s Talk Science).
line drawing of a lightbulb

Idea

Students could share their responses orally or using drawings instead of, or in addition to, writing.
Assessment opporunties icon

Students could fill out the Tall Towers & Sustainable Cities 3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF].

""
3-2-1 Exit Slip reproducible (©2022 Let’s Talk Science).
  

 

Background Information for Teachers

Tall Towers

Towers have been built in all shapes and sizes and for multiple purposes over the centuries. Today, many of the tallest towers house offices and homes.

Many cities have high rise apartments or condominiums in their city centres, which are convenient for people working downtown. They have other advantages, such as not having grass to cut or snow to shovel. So why aren’t more people living in these buildings?

For one thing, people often want to live in houses with yards they can spend time in. For another, more and more people don’t work downtown. They can work from home, which can be anywhere.

The challenge for urban planners of the future will be to design cities where people are happy to live and where the environment is protected.

Tridel apartment buildings
Tridel apartment buildings (Source: ChadPerez49 [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Wikimedia Commons).
Image - Text Version

Shown is a colour photograph of two large buildings with many windows and balconies.

The camera looks across a street at two wide rectangular buildings of 15 to 20 storeys each. They are beige with wide windows that gleam with reflected sun. The lower storeys are obscured by evergreen trees, with street lights and power lines in front of them.

Additional Resources

Reproducibles

Books

Look at that Building
Read aloud version
By Scot Ritchie
Learning about buildings and how they are constructed has never been so much fun. This book introduces young readers to basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends keen on building a doghouse for their pet pooch, Max.
ISBN: 9781554536962

Cover of Look at that Building by Scot Ritchie
Look at that Building book cover (Source: Open Library).

Videos

I Want To Be An Architect! - Kids Dream Jobs - Can You Imagine That?
In this video (5:00 min.) Ellery explains why he wants to be an architect when he grows up.

How to construct stronger buildings - from Fun Kids Inspiring Engineers
In this video (2:17 min.) students learn why large bases are important for structural stability.

Reproducibles and Media

Reproducibles

Books

Look at that Building
Read aloud version
By Scot Ritchie
Learning about buildings and how they are constructed has never been so much fun. This book introduces young readers to basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends keen on building a doghouse for their pet pooch, Max.
ISBN: 9781554536962

Cover of Look at that Building by Scot Ritchie
Look at that Building book cover (Source: Open Library).

Videos

I Want To Be An Architect! - Kids Dream Jobs - Can You Imagine That?
In this video (5:00 min.) Ellery explains why he wants to be an architect when he grows up.

How to construct stronger buildings - from Fun Kids Inspiring Engineers
In this video (2:17 min.) students learn why large bases are important for structural stability.

Science

  • Students could consider ways to make their structures more resistant to external forces, such as wind. They could then modify their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

  • Students could write a sample letter to a city council advocating for the building of more apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

  • Students could measure and record the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (e.g., a table). For example, students may record:
    • the dimensions of the tower
    • the length of pieces of material
    • the load the tower can support
  • Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could determine the area that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and calculate how much area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

  • Students could design apartment buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

  • Students could embellish their structure to make them look like real apartment buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Extensions

Science

  • Students could consider ways to make their structures more resistant to external forces, such as wind. They could then modify their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

  • Students could write a sample letter to a city council advocating for the building of more apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

  • Students could measure and record the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (e.g., a table). For example, students may record:
    • the dimensions of the tower
    • the length of pieces of material
    • the load the tower can support
  • Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could determine the area that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and calculate how much area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

  • Students could design apartment buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

  • Students could embellish their structure to make them look like real apartment buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Will there ever be a mile-high skyscraper? (2019)
In this video (6:07 min.) learn what goes into building very tall buildings.

Bigger is Greener: The Environmental Benefits of High-Density Housing (2021)
This article from Livingat300Main, outlines some of the benefits of high-density housing.

Discourage urban sprawl
This page of the David Suzuki Foundation website discusses what Canadians can do to reduce urban sprawl.

Using AI to map urban sprawl in Canada (2022)
This page of the Radio Canada website has an interactive showing how AI was used to measure urban sprawl in some of Canada’s major cities.

Learn More

Will there ever be a mile-high skyscraper? (2019)
In this video (6:07 min.) learn what goes into building very tall buildings.

Bigger is Greener: The Environmental Benefits of High-Density Housing (2021)
This article from Livingat300Main, outlines some of the benefits of high-density housing.

Discourage urban sprawl
This page of the David Suzuki Foundation website discusses what Canadians can do to reduce urban sprawl.

Using AI to map urban sprawl in Canada (2022)
This page of the Radio Canada website has an interactive showing how AI was used to measure urban sprawl in some of Canada’s major cities.

Civil Mentors (Apr. 8, 2019) Tension and Compression Forces in Buildings [Video]. YouTube.

The Daily (Feb. 9, 2022). Canada’s Large Urban Centres Continue To Grow And Spread. Statistics Canada.

David Suzuki Foundation (n.d.). Discourage Urban Sprawl.

Jaeger, JAG, and N. Nazarnia (2016). Social and ecological impacts of the exponential increase of urban sprawl in Montreal. The Canada Communicable Disease Report 42: 207-208.

References

Civil Mentors (Apr. 8, 2019) Tension and Compression Forces in Buildings [Video]. YouTube.

The Daily (Feb. 9, 2022). Canada’s Large Urban Centres Continue To Grow And Spread. Statistics Canada.

David Suzuki Foundation (n.d.). Discourage Urban Sprawl.

Jaeger, JAG, and N. Nazarnia (2016). Social and ecological impacts of the exponential increase of urban sprawl in Montreal. The Canada Communicable Disease Report 42: 207-208.

Reproducibles

Books

Look at that Building
Read aloud version
By Scot Ritchie
Learning about buildings and how they are constructed has never been so much fun. This book introduces young readers to basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends keen on building a doghouse for their pet pooch, Max.
ISBN: 9781554536962

Cover of Look at that Building by Scot Ritchie
Look at that Building book cover (Source: Open Library).

Videos

I Want To Be An Architect! - Kids Dream Jobs - Can You Imagine That?
In this video (5:00 min.) Ellery explains why he wants to be an architect when he grows up.

How to construct stronger buildings - from Fun Kids Inspiring Engineers
In this video (2:17 min.) students learn why large bases are important for structural stability.

Reproducibles and Media

Reproducibles

Books

Look at that Building
Read aloud version
By Scot Ritchie
Learning about buildings and how they are constructed has never been so much fun. This book introduces young readers to basic construction concepts through the eyes of five friends keen on building a doghouse for their pet pooch, Max.
ISBN: 9781554536962

Cover of Look at that Building by Scot Ritchie
Look at that Building book cover (Source: Open Library).

Videos

I Want To Be An Architect! - Kids Dream Jobs - Can You Imagine That?
In this video (5:00 min.) Ellery explains why he wants to be an architect when he grows up.

How to construct stronger buildings - from Fun Kids Inspiring Engineers
In this video (2:17 min.) students learn why large bases are important for structural stability.

Science

  • Students could consider ways to make their structures more resistant to external forces, such as wind. They could then modify their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

  • Students could write a sample letter to a city council advocating for the building of more apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

  • Students could measure and record the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (e.g., a table). For example, students may record:
    • the dimensions of the tower
    • the length of pieces of material
    • the load the tower can support
  • Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could determine the area that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and calculate how much area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

  • Students could design apartment buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

  • Students could embellish their structure to make them look like real apartment buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Extensions

Science

  • Students could consider ways to make their structures more resistant to external forces, such as wind. They could then modify their structures and test using a fan.

Literacy

  • Students could write a sample letter to a city council advocating for the building of more apartments.

Mathematical Thinking

  • Students could measure and record the length, width, height and mass of their towers using standard units. They could record the data using a variety of methods (e.g., a table). For example, students may record:
    • the dimensions of the tower
    • the length of pieces of material
    • the load the tower can support
  • Students could create town plans using interlocking blocks, such as LEGO®, to represent houses. They could determine the area that the blocks occupy. They could then stack the blocks to create an apartment building and calculate how much area was saved by doing this.

Computational Thinkings

  • Students could design apartment buildings using the Minecraft: Education Edition. Many inspiring videos and tutorials are available through YouTube.

Visual Arts

  • Students could embellish their structure to make them look like real apartment buildings. This could include adding walls with windows, stairs, landscaping, etc.

Will there ever be a mile-high skyscraper? (2019)
In this video (6:07 min.) learn what goes into building very tall buildings.

Bigger is Greener: The Environmental Benefits of High-Density Housing (2021)
This article from Livingat300Main, outlines some of the benefits of high-density housing.

Discourage urban sprawl
This page of the David Suzuki Foundation website discusses what Canadians can do to reduce urban sprawl.

Using AI to map urban sprawl in Canada (2022)
This page of the Radio Canada website has an interactive showing how AI was used to measure urban sprawl in some of Canada’s major cities.

Learn More

Will there ever be a mile-high skyscraper? (2019)
In this video (6:07 min.) learn what goes into building very tall buildings.

Bigger is Greener: The Environmental Benefits of High-Density Housing (2021)
This article from Livingat300Main, outlines some of the benefits of high-density housing.

Discourage urban sprawl
This page of the David Suzuki Foundation website discusses what Canadians can do to reduce urban sprawl.

Using AI to map urban sprawl in Canada (2022)
This page of the Radio Canada website has an interactive showing how AI was used to measure urban sprawl in some of Canada’s major cities.

Civil Mentors (Apr. 8, 2019) Tension and Compression Forces in Buildings [Video]. YouTube.

The Daily (Feb. 9, 2022). Canada’s Large Urban Centres Continue To Grow And Spread. Statistics Canada.

David Suzuki Foundation (n.d.). Discourage Urban Sprawl.

Jaeger, JAG, and N. Nazarnia (2016). Social and ecological impacts of the exponential increase of urban sprawl in Montreal. The Canada Communicable Disease Report 42: 207-208.

References

Civil Mentors (Apr. 8, 2019) Tension and Compression Forces in Buildings [Video]. YouTube.

The Daily (Feb. 9, 2022). Canada’s Large Urban Centres Continue To Grow And Spread. Statistics Canada.

David Suzuki Foundation (n.d.). Discourage Urban Sprawl.

Jaeger, JAG, and N. Nazarnia (2016). Social and ecological impacts of the exponential increase of urban sprawl in Montreal. The Canada Communicable Disease Report 42: 207-208.

Related Topics

Engineering Design Process 5
Forces on Structures
SDG11-Communities
Structures