Concrete

Hello. I am Concrete. I am the strong, gray stuff you see on the sidewalk where you play hopscotch and ride your scooter. I help make big buildings, like your school, stand up tall. When I am first made, I am a goopy, mushy mix, like thick gray soup. But when I dry, I get super-duper hard, just like a rock. A long, long time ago, before I was around, it was tricky for people to build things that would last for a long, long time. They needed something strong like me to help them.

One day, a very clever man named Joseph Aspdin had a wonderful idea. He wanted to make something that was stronger than anything else to help build things. On a special day, October 21st, 1824, Joseph decided to try his idea. He took some special gray dust, which he called cement, and mixed it all up with water, little pebbles, and some sand. He stirred and stirred everything together, and that’s when I was born. At first, I was just a wet, gray goo. Joseph poured me into a block shape and waited patiently. He watched as I went from a goopy soup to a hard, strong stone. He was so excited. He knew I could help people build a stronger world.

Now, I am everywhere. Look around when you go outside. I am the road that cars drive on and the sidewalk you walk on. I am used to make big, strong bridges that go over rivers and tall buildings that almost touch the clouds. I help make your home a safe and cozy place to live, keeping it strong when the wind blows and the rain falls. The next time you walk on a gray path, remember me. I am Concrete, and I am so proud to help keep our world strong and safe for everyone to enjoy.