How Do You Build Skyscrapers?

🕐 4 min 13 sec 👦 Ages 6–8 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the fascinating world of skyscrapers and learn how these towering buildings are constructed!
Understand what a skyscraper is Learn about building and architecture Explore the concept of height and clouds
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, Owlo! I saw something really amazing on my way to school today.
                
                    Owlo:
                    What did you see, Koko? Your eyes are absolutely sparkling with excitement.
                
                    Koko:
                    There was a gigantic building in the city. It was so tall that the top almost disappeared into the clouds.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That sounds like a skyscraper. They are truly impressive, aren't they?
                
                    Koko:
                    A skyscraper! What a funny name. Do they really scrape the clouds then?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is exactly where the name comes from. They are so tall that it seems like they are touching the clouds.
                
                    Koko:
                    But how do people build something so gigantic? It seems really difficult and a bit scary to me.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a wonderful question. Let's go to the school library. We have some great books there about building and architecture.
                
                    Koko:
                    These are such thick books! This one has pictures of skyscrapers from all around the world.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is exactly the right book. We will start at the very beginning, which is the foundation.
                
                    Koko:
                    A foundation? What in the world is that, Owlo?
                
                    Owlo:
                    The foundation is the solid part underground that the building rests on. Without a good foundation, a tall building would simply fall over.
                
                    Koko:
                    So it actually starts underground, not above the ground at all?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Very well thought, Koko. Workers dig very deep, sometimes twenty meters or even more. Then they pour concrete into the ground.
                
                    Koko:
                    Twenty meters! That is much deeper than a swimming pool, isn't it?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Much deeper than that, actually. Then a steel skeleton is built on top of that foundation.
                
                    Koko:
                    A steel skeleton? That sounds a little bit like the bones inside my body.
                
                    Owlo:
                    What a clever comparison, Koko. The steel skeleton gives the building its shape and strength. Just like your bones keep you standing upright.
                
                    Koko:
                    And how do the workers get up so high? They certainly cannot jump that far up.
                
                    Owlo:
                    They use cranes. Those are large machines that lift heavy materials high into the air. The workers themselves use elevators and scaffolding.
                
                    Koko:
                    Scaffolding is those metal tubes you sometimes see around a building, right?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly right. Scaffolding is a kind of temporary platform where workers can stand and work safely.
                
                    Koko:
                    But if the building is so tall, does it not move in the wind? That sounds really dangerous to me.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Skyscrapers do actually move a little bit. And that is a good thing. If they were completely rigid, they would crack apart in strong winds.
                
                    Koko:
                    So moving a little bit is perfectly fine? Just like a tree in a storm?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That exact comparison is also in this book. Engineers are the people who design buildings, and they think about this very cleverly.
                
                    Koko:
                    Engineers sound like real superheroes for buildings to me.
                
                    Owlo:
                    They certainly are, in their own way. They calculate everything very precisely before even a single stone is laid.
                
                    Koko:
                    How long does it actually take to build a skyscraper like that?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Large skyscrapers can take five to ten years to complete. It is a very big project with hundreds of people all working together.
                
                    Koko:
                    That is longer than I have even been alive. I think that is truly amazing.
                
                    Owlo:
                    And the most wonderful thing, Koko, is that all those people build something together. Something that can stand for hundreds of years. I find that a beautiful thought.
                
                    Koko:
                    Me too. Owlo, can you ask me what I learned today? I really want to try and remember it all.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Tell me then, little architect, what did you learn today about skyscrapers?
                
                    Koko:
                    Skyscrapers start very deep underground with a strong foundation. Then workers build a skeleton made of steel, just like the bones in your body. Cranes lift all the heavy materials up high. The building is allowed to move a tiny bit in the wind, just like a tree. Engineers are the superheroes who design and calculate everything. And next time I want to learn how bridges are built, because they just hang in the air too!