The Empire State Building

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The Empire State Building is a famous skyscraper found in New York City.

The skyscraper that towers above many of the other buildings in New York City stands a total of 1,454 feet tall. The building has one-hundred-and-two stories and an observation deck on the eighty-sixth floor. From the observation deck, you can see all the other buildings in New York City from above!

The construction of the Empire State Building began in the year 1930. William F. Lamb is the architect that designed the building. Did you know he drew the complete design in two weeks?

His design used the Art Deco style to make a new building with a unique look. The construction began during the beginning of the Great Depression. Many people were looking for work at this time, so the construction of the building provided many people with jobs that would allow them to provide for their families. The building is made of limestone, steel beams, aluminum, granite, and steel. It took a little over a year to construct and was finished on April 11^th, 1931.

The Empire state building was New York City's tallest building for forty years. Its beautiful lights still light up the New York City skyline every day. You can visit the Empire State Building in New York City. Over three-and-a-half million people visit the Empire State Building each year. Most people only get to go to the observatory deck on the eighty-sixth floor. Some people get to go on a special tour all the way to the one-hundred-and-second floor!

Now that you learned some interesting facts about the Empire State Building, tell your parent or teacher two facts you learned about the Empire State Building, then move on to the Got It? section to learn about what it was like to work on the Empire State Building.