Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities

Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities — page 9
work of reliable lighthouses The concept of a lighthouse seems simple now shine a light from a building tall enough to be visible far away As you will find out soon accomplishing this was easier said than done Today when skyscrap ers in the smallest cities dwarf the tallest lighthous es it may be difficult to think of a lighthouse as an engineering marvel But how could workers construct tall sturdy buildings without concrete steel or mod еrn machines In this book you will learn about the daring builders and engineers who built lighthouses in places some said it was impossible to do so You will learn how lighthouse designs and building meth ods were adapted to different locations At a time when you can order virtually anything you want and have it delivered overnight it may seem hard to believe that getting building materials to a lighthouse site or supplies to a lighthouse could be time consuming and dangerous But how long would it take you to walk to the next town or row a boat three miles along a nearby river Lighthouses for Kids includes firsthand accounts of the challenges of living and working in remote places far from stores schools or doctors Nowadays few people think about the everyday act of flipping light switches on and off Even when the electricity goes out in your area you have strong flashlights and perhaps generators to help you see But how did people make lights at the top of a light house tower powerful when they had only candles and oil lamps In Lighthouses for Kids you will learn about the Thomas Edison of lighthouses a French scientist who revolutionized the way lighthouses worked You will also discover the heroic efforts made by keepers simply to keep a light on all