Buildings Are Tall – Teacher's Guide

Overview

There are many tall buildings around the world. But which building is taller or the tallest. In this activity the students will practice using the comparative and superlative adjective by comparing and contrasting the sizes of actual buildings, skyscrapers, throughout the world.

Students can access all the Internet sites for the Interactive Activities by clicking on Students' Area in the ECB On-line homepage, then click on:

  • Interactive Activity links - The links to the Internet sites are listed under the names of the activities.
    - or -
  • Elementary, Junior High, High School. Choose their coursebook.

Level

Foundation and Intermediate (Grades 6-9)

Time

One 45-minute lesson

Group Size

Pairs

Students' Prior Knowledge

The student can ...

... read and understand a chart.

... identify comparative and superlative adjectives.

... understand the usage of comparative and superlative adjectives.

... write simple questions.

Objectives

The students will be able to ...

... use comparative and superlative adjectives.

... write questions using comparative and superlative adjectives.

Procedure

Teach and practice the form and usage of comparative and superlative adjectives.

Give the students the activity Buildings are Tall. Either print the Internet page: World's Tallest Buildings ( or send your students to the Internet site to help them fill in the answers.

Presentation

After checking the answers on the activity, ask the students to exchange questions from Part D and see who can find the most answers in 5 minutes.

Variations on a theme

Ask the students to research additional information about one of the buildings. For example:

  • When was the building built?
  • Who was the architect?
  • How long did it take to be built?

Buildings are Tall – Student Worksheet

To find the Internet site you need to complete this activity

  • Go to: ECB Online:
  • Click on Student's Area
  • Click on Interactive Activity Links or look for your course book.
  • Find the activity: Buildings are Tall
  • Use these Internet sites to help you.

Do the following activities.

A. Name the Building

  1. Which building is higher, the Aon Centre or Bank of America Plaza?
  2. Which building is older, the Chrysler Building or Two Prudential Plaza?
  3. Which building is newer, the Sears Tower or Kingdom Centre?
  4. Which building has more stories, the Pyongyang Hotel or Empire State Building?
  5. Which building has fewer stories, the Bank of China Tower or Shun Hing Square?

B. Name the building and country.

Building / Country
Which building is the highest?
Which building is the oldest?
Which building is the newest?
Which building has the most stories?
Which building has the least stories?

C. Compare the following building and write a sentence.

Use the following adjectives:

higher than - the highest / lower than - the lowest
taller than - the tallest / shorter than - the shortest
older than - the oldest / younger than - the youngest

For example:

Bank One Center, Dallas - Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo

Tokyo Metropolitan Government in Tokyo is shorter than Bank One Center in Dallas.

  1. Empire State Building, New York -The Center, Hong Kong

______

______

  1. Central Plaza, Hong Kong - Jin Mao Building, Shanghai

______

______

  1. Cheung Kong Center, Hong Kong - Library Tower, Los Angeles - John Hancock Center, Chicago

______

______

  1. Emirates Tower One, Dubai -First Canadian Place, Toronto - Jin Mao Building, Shanghai

______

______

C. Which building am I?

  1. I was built in 1969 and I am 100 stories high. You can find me in the USA.

Which building am I? ______

  1. I was built in 1953 and I am 26 stories high. You can find me in Russia.

Which building am I? ______

  1. I was built in 1994 and I am 52 stories high. You can find me in Japan.

Which building am I? ______

D. Make up you own questions and riddles

______

______

______

______

______