Learn a Landmark: Space Needle

Topics: Ages 6-9, Early Learning

To do: Read the history of the Seattle Space Needle, then practice comparison like ‘shorter’ and ‘taller’
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Pictures of national landmarks
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Learn a new national landmark – the Space Needle! It’s on the west coast of the United States in Seattle, Washington.

Let’s look at why the Space Needle was built, what exactly you can do there, and finish up with an activity practicing comparative vocabulary.

History:

The city of Seattle was hosting a big gathering of people called the World’s Fair in 1962. They wanted to build a special structure for visitors coming to the city, and Edward E. Carlson had the perfect idea.

He envisioned a tall, futuristic structure, and along with architect John Graham, they settled on including rotating restaurant and observation deck on the very top.

The tower is so strong it can withstand earthquakes and winds up to 200 mph. Who would think a structure made of metal could bend so much!

When the Space Needle opened on the first day of the World’s Fair, almost 20,000 people a day rode the elevators to the top of the tower. It was a great success, and is still an important national landmark today.

Activity: At one point in time, the Space Needle was the tallest structure West of the Mississippi. What other tall buildings or landmarks do you know, and how do they compare to each other? Practice superlative vocabulary with this Space Needle activity.

Look at images of the following landmarks and use the words “taller” or “shorter” to compare: