http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_a_house_for_me/a_house_for_me.xmlactivitytext/xmlCenter for Engineering Educational Outreach, adobeclimatehousehutigloolodgematerials pagodaregionshelterstructural designtepeetreehousewigwam climateadobeigloopagodatepeelodgewigwamhutclimographtree housearcticTaiga

Students brainstorm and discuss the different types of materials used to build houses in various climates. They build small models of houses and test them in different climates.

Civil and environmental engineers are involved in designing structures. They must take into consideration the climate and type of land where they are building to ensure that the type of structure chosen will suit the environment. If an area is known for earthquakes, precautions must be taken to build a structure that can withstand as much of the impact of the earthquake as possible. If the area is extremely wet, the foundation must be made deep enough and solid enough for the house not to sink or slide. The impact climates have on the building of structures Details about several types of climates Basic structural design Basic experimental skills3275TeachEngineering.orghttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_a_house_for_me/assessment_worksheet.dochttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_a_house_for_me/assessment_worksheet.pdfKessler, James H. and Andrea Bennett. The Best of WonderScience: Elementary Science Activities. Boston: Delmar Publishers. 1997. ISBN: 0827380941 p. 20S101F91AMassachusettsScience1.1 Identify materials used to accomplish a design task based on a specific property, i.e., weight, strength, hardness, and flexibility.35S10047AAMassachusettsScience2.1 Identify a problem that reflects the need for shelter, storage, or convenience.35S100EBE2MassachusettsScience2.3 Identify relevant design features (e.g., size, shape, weight) for building a prototype of a solution to a given problem.35S10193F9MassachusettsScience9. Differentiate between weather and climate.35United StatesCopyright 2012 - Center for Engineering Educational Outreach, Tufts Universityhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2012-03-184Teacher