First and Second Graders Study Shelters January, 2001

• To begin to recognize various houses and their locations around the world.
• To learn about the physical make-up of the world.
• To begin to develop an understanding of map skills
• To compare/contrast different shelters around the world.
• To understand climates and how environment determines materials used in building shelters.

Working in groups of four, students were given a description of a particular region of our world. In this self-directed activity, the children were encouraged to look at the materials in front of them and come up with a shelter that would be effective in protecting the people of that climate and area.

Below are the descriptions of the regions given to the students and pictures of the shelters the students created.

Click on the pictures below to view them larger

"It is very hot where you live. The night and day are both hot. It rains very hard for two months each year. Build a house that will keep you cool but will not get flooded." Read a story about life on stilts.

"Your family are fishermen. They live on their boats. You can not remember going onto land. You go to school on boats, you shop on boats, you sleep and eat on boats. Build a floating house." Read stories about life on the water.

"You live where there is almost no rain. Your family travels most of the time by camel, and sometimes by truck. You must have shelter from the very hot sun. Build a house that you can use to protect yourself each day." Read a story about life in the desert.

"You live where the snow melts for two months of the year. Very few trees grow here and they are very small. You have to have shelter or you will freeze. Build a house to protect yourself." Read a story about life in an igloo.

"You live in a pine-fir-balsam forest. It is cold half the year and moderate the rest of the year. There is a lot of wood and a lot of snow. Build a house to protect you from the cold and snow in winter and the hot sun in summer." Read a story about life in the Northern Woodlands.

Are you interested in doing this project yourself? Click here to see a list of the materials we used.

Last update: 1-24-01/mgl