Construct and Test Roofs for Different Climates
We design and create objects to make our lives easier and more comfortable. The houses in which we live are excellent examples of this. Depending on your local climate, the features of your house have been designed to satisfy your particular environmental needs: protection from hot, cold, windy and/or rainy weather. In this activity, students design and build model houses, then test them against various climate elements, and then re-design and improve them. Using books, websites and photos, students learn about the different types of roofs found on various houses in different environments throughout the world.
Example model tropical house designed and built by a student.
Civil engineers design structures that are appropriate for their environment. Depending on the climate, different materials are used for the roofs of buildings. Some materials work better in warmer climates to keep buildings cooler, while others work better in colder climates that need additional insulation. A design that works for one climate may not be ideal for another climate.
- Students are able to choose and use materials and tools to create model houses with specific features.
- Students can describe how houses in different environments are built differently (material choices, house design, construction methods).
- Students can explain how different climates suggest design strategies and techniques to best create human shelters.
- Students can describe in their own words the core steps of the engineering design process (design, build, test).