Soaring SkyScrapers! Your Future Engineer-Blog Vol. 4 #1

Skyscrapers are true engineering marvels that have been astonishing spectators for years. When the majority of these structures started going up in Chicago and New York City, they were limited to their height because, structurally, they were only supported by brick and stone. When architects made the switch to steel frames, they were able to design taller, sturdier buildings. One of the first buildings that was constructed using this new method was the Home Insurance Building . It was built in Chicago in 1885.

For a longer list of the world's tallest building please visit the deskarati website.

According to Museum of the City, the real start of the skyscraper boom was when the Chrysler Building (77 stories) and the Empire State Building (102 stories) were completed in 1930 and 1931. Before the boom, however, a skyscraper was classified as a building that was taller than any other building around it. Now, in order to be classified as a skyscraper, a building must have 40 floors or more! The highest to date reaches 162 stories!

Let's Build a Gumdrop Skyscraper!

The Challenge: See who can engineer and build the tallest, sturdiest skyscraper using materials such as, gumdrops (you can also use marshmallows or jellybeans) and toothpicks! For more information on this project visit the Little Bins for Little Hands website.

Weekly Sessions (after school and Saturday morning) Fort Lauderdale starts Wednesday, September 6th @ 3:30 pm Plantation starts Saturday, September 9th @ 10:00 am Boca Raton startsThursday, November 9th @ 5:30 pm