TEACHER’S GUIDE

The learning objectives:

The focus of the lessons is to use Those Amazing Builders

to introduce students to the construction industry.

n Students become aware of the built environment in

a more sophisticated way.

n Students learn about the building process and the

various members of the building team who contribute

to a successful construction project.

n Students understand the broader impact of

construction on their lives and on society in general.

n Students understand how the elements of STEM

education are related to the construction industry.

n Students become interested in construction as

a possible career.

The following guide provides a variety of suggested

activities that can be adapted for different age levels

and abilities, with a range from easy to more

challenging assignments.

Those Amazing Builders Teacher’s Guide

Those Amazing Builders covers the variety of opportunities available in the construction industry and introduces students to a career they might otherwise overlook.

The book can be used in classrooms from upper middle school through high school, as part of career information programs, as an adjunct to STEM lessons, or even as part of history or language arts lessons.

Those Amazing Builders provides a look at exciting infrastructure and building projects, with a focus on safety, teamwork, building green and building smart. The building team is fully discussed, so that students can understand the role of each team member—from architects to contractors to construction managers to carpenters—and a “How to Get There from Here” section discusses training and educational opportunities and requirements.

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Assign the book for at-home reading, followed by classroom discussion:

n What new or surprising things did students learn about construction? List at least three.

n What new words or terms did students learn? Use the online glossary

(www.trilogypublications.com/glossary) to find definitions.

n Ask students about construction projects in their neighborhood, town, or city—new

construction or reconstruction/repair of buildings, roads, sewer or water systems,

parks, etc. What have they observed? How many different types of equipment?

Construction workers?

n Why is training in elements of STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—

needed to prepare for a career in the construction industry?

n How have science, technology, engineering and math affected advances in the

construction industry?

n How has construction (or lack of it) had an impact on communities in terms of

socio-economics, living standards, opportunities, etc.? Use the book to identify

types of infrastructure as well as building projects that affect communities.

n What is building “green” and what does it mean in terms of the environment and

in terms of job opportunities in construction?

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Follow-up activities:

n Invite a local engineering, construction

or construction management company

to send a representative to class to talk

about his/her work, especially relating

to a local or visible project.

n Invite a local construction-related labor

union representative to speak to the class

about his/her work. Many unions have out-

reach programs and/or training centers.

n Arrange a field trip to a local construction

project. Find out if any new technology is

being used at the site.

n If there is a mentoring program (for engineer-

ing, architecture, or any construction-

related job) in your community, ask about

having a mentor and/or a student partici-

pant talk to the class about the program

and their activities.

Writing assignments:

n Identify and discuss a scientific or technological development that has enabled an

advance in construction. Examples: the Pyramids at Giza, green or net-zero buildings,

high-rise buildings with glass curtain walls.

n Research construction from a historical perspective. Identify a world landmark—a

major construction project in the past—and discuss its social, economic, and historical

impacts—local, national, regional and even worldwide. Examples: Great Wall of China,

Hoover Dam, Panama Canal.

n Identify a current major construction project and discuss its technical, social, economic,

and political issues. Examples: Construction related to the 2014 World Cup and the 2016

Summer Olympics in Brazil; rebuilding the World Trade Center site in New York City.

n Visit one of the websites noted on the “How Do I Get There From Here” pages, and

report on the information available.

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Additional resources for teachers:

n Teachers Domain: short video clips related to construction from PBS documentaries,

rated by appropriate grade level.

http://www.teachersdomain.org/browse/?fq_hierarchy=k12.sci.engin.systems.const

n Technology Education: supplemental resources for tech-ed teachers.

http://www.teched101.com/tchr_tips.htm

n Practical Action: activities suitable for STEM classes, on this website that focuses

on building sustainable technologies in developing countries.

http://practicalaction.org/stem

n Edutopia: green building and curriculum resource for teachers, on this site that

offers a broad range of teacher resources.

http://www.edutopia.org/green-building-curriculum-resources

n BuildWisconsin: general information on the construction industry and an interactive

game, Budget, Build It, Bust It!, that tests a student’s knowledge of what it takes to manage

a construction project.

www.buildwisconsin.com

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Those Amazing Builders Glossary of Words and Terms

This glossary can be accessed by students; it is available on the Trilogy Publications website (www.trilogypublications.com/glossary).

Aesthetics Dealing with the nature of art, beauty, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation

of beauty.

Autonomous Acting independently or having the freedom to do so.

Bore hole A narrow shaft bored in the ground for the extraction of water or other liquid, as part of a

geotechnical investigation, or as a pilot hole for installing piers or underground utilities.

Biometrics Refers to the identification of humans by characteristics such as voice or hand print for access

control to a facility.

Biovestibule An airlock-like system separating administrative and laboratory areas in a research facility.

Cat6A cable (category 6A cable) The latest cable for today’s high-speed Ethernet networks to support

high-speed computer applications.

Composite A material made from two or more materials with significantly different properties that remain

separate and distinct within the finished structure.

Curtain wall An outer non-structural covering of a building, such as glass.

Egress Exit.

Embankment An artificial bank raised above the surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding, or to

carry a railroad or road across low-lying land.

Extensometer A device that is used to measure changes in the length of an object.

Façade An exterior side of a building, usually the front.

Forensics Applying science and technology to investigate situations after they occur, and to establish what

happened based on collected evidence. Forensic engineering refers to the scientific analysis of structures

to determine the cause of their failure or damage.

Framing Constructing the skeleton of a building.

Flyover bridge A highway overpass.

Grout A mortar or paste for filling crevices, especially the gaps between bricks or tiles.

Inclinometer A device that can measure an angle with respect to a level surface.

Infrastructure The basic physical structures needed for the operation of a society, such as transportation

and power facilities.

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Just-in-time supply chain (or delivery) A production strategy designed to reduce inventory and

associated costs by having supplies arrive just before they are needed.

Laminated glass Safety glass made with plastic or resin or other material between two layers of

glass to prevent shattering.

Levee A natural or artificial dike or embankment that runs parallel to a river and prevents water from

overflowing its banks.

Maglev (magnetic levitation) A system of transportation in which vehicles travel by magnets that lift

them a short distance above a guideway and propel them forward.

Mentor A trusted counselor or guide who helps a younger person advance in his or her career.

Mortar A paste used to bind masonry blocks together and fill the gaps between them to form a

rigid structure.

Plumb bob A weight suspended from a string and used as a vertical reference line.

Plate girder bridge A bridge supported by plate girders that are made out of flat steel sections

welded into an I-beam shape. The girders are placed on foundation piers, and a bridge deck is built

on top of the girders to carry traffic.

Repointing The process of refreshing the visible mortar between bricks or other masonry blocks.

Prefab housing Housing manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily

shipped and assembled.

Retrofit The application of new technology or features to older systems, as in increasing a home’s energy

efficiency by installing a new boiler.

Scale model A smaller version of a building that maintains its proportions and physical characteristics.

Often used as a guide to making the building in full size.

Seismograph An instrument used to detect and record earthquakes.

Sustainable Using a resource so that it is not depleted.

Tempered glass A type of safety glass processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to

increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempered glass, when broken, crumbles into small

pieces that are less likely to cause injury than the sharp shards of regular glass.

Thermoplastic Substances that become plastic on heating and harden on cooling, and are able to re-

peat these processes. Also refers to a recycled plastic that has recently been used in bridges.

Tolerances In engineering and construction, the allowable limit of variation in a physical dimension.

Venue A physical place, such as the location of a business or event.

Wind farm A group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power.

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