slide 1: Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the foors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 2: THIS PAGE
INTENTIONALLY
LEFT BLANK
slide 3: j Millbrook Press / Minneapolis
slide 4: First American edition published in 2009 by Lerner Publishing Group Inc.
Copyright © 2004 by Orpheus Books Ltd.
All U.S. rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form
or by any means—electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise—without the prior written permission of
Lerner Publishing Group Inc. except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Millbrook Press
A division of Lerner Publishing Group Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis MN 55401 USA
Website address: www.lernerbooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Harris Nicholas 1956–
A year at a construction site / by Nicholas Harris.
p. cm. -- Time goes by
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978–1–58013–549–8 lib. bdg. : alk. paper
1. Building—Juvenile literature. 2. School buildings—Design and construction—Juvenile literature. I. Title.
TH149.H37 2009
690—dc22 2007039036
Manufactured in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 — BP — 14 13 12 11 10 09
978-0-7613-4675-3
slide 5: Introduction 4
January: Demolition 6
February: Digging the foundation 8
March: Pumping concrete 10
May: Placing the floors 12
August: Setting the roof timbers 14
October: Adding roof tiles 16
November: Building a street 18
December: Painting the walls 20
Glossary 22
Learn More about Construction 23
A Closer Look 24
Index 24
Table of Contents
slide 6: 4
Y
ou can follow all the action on the building site as the
months pass. The calendar on each right-hand page
tells you what month you’ve reached.
THIS IS THE STORY
of how
workers build a new school. Their work takes place
during one year. All the pictures have the same view
of the construction site. But each one shows a different
time of year. Lots of things happen during this year. Can you
spot them all
slide 7: 5
Introduction
W
hile the work goes on all sorts of other things are
happening. They are not always part of the plan
A few small accidents take place. Animals and children
come and go. There’s always something new to find
A
s you read look for people who appear every month. For example
someone always seems to be chasing a dog. And one worker is always
eating. Think about what stories these people might tell about the
construction site.
slide 8: 6
B
efore workers can build the new school they must tear down an
old building on the site. This work is called demolition.
A crane swings a heavy metal ball at the walls. Bricks
from the walls crash to the ground. A special claw
grabs window frames and water pipes. Bulldozers
clear away the broken-up bits or rubble.
Can you
find...
an old sink
slide 9: 7
January
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 10: 8
A
few weeks later bulldozers clear away the last of the rubble. Workers
cut up old metal beams. To do this work they use special tools. Bulldozers
also dig narrow paths called trenches. This is where the new building’s
foundation will be. The foundation is the building’s base. Earthmovers
scoop the dirt into dump trucks to be taken away. The digging has
uncovered a few surprises. One builder finds an old pillar.
Other workers spot a fossil the remains
of an ancient animal.
a hose
a heavy saw
Can you
find...
slide 11: 9
February
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 12: 10
T
he time has come to put in the foundation. A
concrete mixer pours a building material called
concrete into a machine. The machine pumps
concrete into the foundation. When the concrete
dries it becomes very hard. At the same time
a crane rises high above the action. It will carry
supplies to the upper floors. Trucks deliver bricks
and beams for the new school.
a worker
spreading
concrete
Can you
find...
a builder’s
plans
slide 13: 11
March
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 14: 12
T
he building is taking shape. Trucks bring slabs to make the floors.
A crane
lowers the floor slabs in place. Workers are also building the frame of the
school. They use a special type of concrete. It makes the building
extra strong. Workers set up wooden platforms so they
can finish the building’s outside. As the building
gets taller the platforms get
taller too.
a dog
a bucket
a pickax
Can you
find...
an electric drill
slide 15: 13
May
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 16: 14
T
he frame of the building is finished. The builders start laying
bricks. They are supposed to leave spaces for the windows.
But one window has been bricked in Trucks bring in
long pieces of wood called timbers. The timbers
are for the roof. The crane lifts the pieces to
the top of the building. Workers hammer
them into place.
Can you
find...
a wheelbarrow
a toolbox
a concrete
mixer
a round saw
slide 17: 15
August
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 18: 16
T
he roof is nearly done. The roofers unroll thick paper called felt.
They nail it to the timbers. Then they put roof tiles on top of the
paper. Some builders fit window frames into the spaces left in the
walls. A small crane brings sheets of glass to the builders
standing on the platforms. At the same time a bulldozer and
an earthmover have come back. They are starting to build
the street that will lead to the school.
Can you
find...
a movable
toilet
bags of
cement
a worker fitting a
window frame
a shovel
slide 19: 17
October
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 20: 18
T
he outside of the building and the street are nearly finished. Trucks
carrying hot tar arrive. They tip the tar onto a machine that spreads it
smoothly on the road. A roller presses the tar flat. But what’s going on
inside the building To help you see the picture has part of the roof and
front wall taken away. A lot of new workers are on the site. Plasterers
coat the brick walls with plaster. Electricians wire the school.
Plumbers put in water pipes. Only a few small accidents happen
Soon the school has smooth walls electric wiring and running water.
Can you
find...
a plumber
a worker
planting a tree
a plasterer
sleeping workers
slide 21: 19
November
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 22: 20
T
he picture again shows what’s going on inside and outside. The
school is nearly ready to open. Workers are busy painting the
walls. Movers bring in new desks. Builders put the doors on closets.
Outside gardeners have planted trees and shrubs. A worker
paints a white line down the middle of the new street. Other workers
add a crosswalk. And people are curious A TV crew rushes to
be the first to talk to the principal. They want to know what he
thinks of his brand-new school. A soccer team and some
students stop by. The new school will open next year.
a worker
painting a
white line
a blackboard
a man with
a camera
a paintbrush
Can you
find...
a school clock
slide 23: 21
December
Demolition
Digging the foundation
Pumping concrete
Placing the floors
Setting the roof timbers
Adding roof tiles
Building a street
Painting the walls
slide 24: 22
Glossary
bulldozer: a powerful tractor that can move dirt and rocks
concrete: a building material made from sand rocks cement
and water
demolition: knocking down something
earthmover: a machine that can dig up and move dirt
fossil: the hardened remains of an ancient animal or plant
foundation: the solid base on which a building is built
plaster: a material made of sand water and lime that is
smoothed on walls
rubble: broken bricks and stones
slide 25: 23
Learn More about Construction
Books
Brill Marlene Targ. Concrete Mixers. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications
Company 2007.
Bullard Lisa. Cranes. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 2007.
Hayward Linda. A Day in a Life of a Builder. New York: DK Children 2001.
Hill Lee Sullivan. Earthmovers. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 2003.
Jango-Cohen Judith. Dump Trucks. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 2003.
Kilby Don. At a Construction Site. Tonawanda NY: Kids Can Press 2006.
Liebman Dan. I Want to Be a Builder. Richmond Hill ON: Firefly Books 2003.
Nelson Robin. From Tree to House. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 2004.
Taus-Bolstad Stacy. From Clay to Bricks. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 2003.
Zemlicka Shannon. From Rock to Road. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company 2004.
Websites
Bob the Builder
http://www.bobthebuilder.com
The official website of Bob the Builder offers games puzzles and more for kid builders.
Kikki’s Workshop
http://www.kenkenkikki.jp/e_index2.html
This website is all about the machines used in building. It has pictures games pages to
color and more.
slide 26: 24
A Closer Look
This book has a lot to find. Did you see people who showed up again
and again Think about what these people did and saw
during the year. If these people kept journals what would they
write A journal is a book with blank pages where people
write down their thoughts. Have you ever kept a journal
What did you write about
Try making a journal for one of the characters in this book.
You will need a pencil and a piece of paper. Choose your
character. Give your character a name. Write the name of
the month at the top of the page. Underneath write about the character’s life
during that month. Pretend you are the character. What kind of work are you doing
Is your work hard or easy Why What have you noticed about the new school Have
you seen anything surprising at work What What do you hope to do next month
Don’t worry if you don’t know how to spell every word. You can ask a parent or
teacher for help if you need to. And be creative
Index
accidents 5 18
building a street 16 18 20
bulldozers 6 8 16
concrete 10 12
cranes 6 10 12
demolition 6–7
earthmovers 8 16
laying bricks 14
laying a foundation 8–9 10
painting 20
roofing 14 16
rubble 6 8
trucks 8 10 12 14 18
windows 14 16
slide 27: Send in the cranes Bulldozers Earthmovers
Would you like to watch how a building goes up During the next
twelve months construction workers are building a school. Check
out the eight action-packed scenes for a bird’s-eye view of the
whole process. See how the workers make the foundation add the
walls and put on the roof. Keep your eye on the calendar too. By
spending a whole year at the building site you can watch events
unfold until the school is ready for students and teachers.
Read all the books in the Time Goes By series
A Day at a Zoo
A Day at an Airport
A Day in a City
A Year at a Construction Site
A Year at a Farm
A Year in a Castle
A Year in the World of Dinosaurs
A Year on a Pirate Ship