On January 4, 2010, Dubai celebrated the completion of what is now, and is likely to remain for some time, the tallest building on the
planet, plus its last-minute name change. What was supposed to be called Burj Dubai (burj means "tower" in Arabic) rises to 2,717
feet above a series of rounded, bronzed setbacks.
It took five years to complete and cost $1.5 billion. At the opening, it was renamed Burj Khalifa, in honor of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed
al-Nahyan, the president of Abu Dhabi—which gave Dubai a $10 billion loan a few weeks ago to help head off the country's
financial collapse.
The building sets many other records: highest swimming pool, highest mosque, tallest service elevator, highest outdoor observation
deck, highest vertical concrete pumping during construction, and the first Armani hotel. From the top you can see 60 miles
away—and back to 2004 when construction started in the midst of a real estate frenzy.
It is hard, despite the glitter and fireworks, not to see Burj Khalifa as a monument to Dubai's burst real estate bubble and a caution
against much of the world's overreach during the last few years. Its developer says that the building is 90 percent sold. That
would make it the exception in Dubai where real estate prices have dropped by as much as 50 percent from their height.
BookCart Learning Activity
BookCart learning activities are a one stop solution for teachers and students in conducting 21st-entury inquiry-based learning
activities. Great editor-selected resources, plus essential questions for critical thinking, plus student directions ensure that no time
is wasted and students have everything they need to maximize learning.
The learning activity for this month is just one of more than a hundred eLibrary Science BookCarts that
teachers and librarians can copy into their local collection and use right away. Here's how:
Click the BOOKCART ADMIN tab at the top of the Teacher Edition.
Click the PROQUEST CARTS tab.
Type "Modern Engineering Marvels" in the SEARCH box.
Click the COPY icon (middle one) in the ACTIONS column to the right of this title.
Click RETURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS.
Librarians or teachers can edit this BookCart to customize it for their students. To edit this BookCart:
Click the new BookCart TITLE with the prefix "COPY OF".
Delete "Copy of" and then type your name in the AUTHOR boxes and your initials in the EMAIL box (required info).
Option: Edit any ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS for your students in the DESCRIPTION box.
Option: Edit the existing STUDENT DIRECTIONS in the Description box.
Scroll down and click SAVE.
Click RETRURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS.
Traditional Learning Activity
The Burj Khalifa is one of the modern wonders of the world. The modern wonders of the world include skyscrapers, tunnels,
bridges, dams, space vehicles, and space exploration telescopes. Assign students a category from the list above.
Students should
create a presentation of at least seven slides that outlines three of the best examples of modern marvels in the assigned category.
Students should cite at least three resources and include photos and data in their presentation. Students should also include at
least three examples of how modern technology and engineering made these projects possible.
Pathfinder
Type "extreme construction and engineering projects" in the Search box > Select only the icons for Magazines and Websites for
the Search.
Alternative Pathfinders
Type "dams" (or any other specific construction category) in the SEARCH box > Type "dams" in the TITLE box to get the most
relevant results
Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.
