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Construction Design Briefs for the Elementary Grades
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There are 35 construction activities
which you can view from this page as of this date. Many of them are similar,
especially the ones that put survivors of some disaster or other in a
predicament and ask students to construct shelter, etc. You can make your
own activity out of the best of these. Please feel free to send mail regarding
your efforts in implementing any of these activities. We'd like to hear
from you so that we can improve our efforts. If you wish to add an activity,
please send it on. If you have any suggestions, please write! We can take
criticism. (We think.)
Page last updated April 14, 2000.
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The Tall Tower
Test!
Looking for a simple problem-solving activity that requires few or
inexpensive materials? Do you want your children to experience success as they
practice ways to solve problems? This basic activity is just your ticket!
Miniature
Golf
Miniature Golf is a favorite activity of many. It is an easy game
to play. The player doesn't need to know very much about the game except put
the ball in the hole". This game can be played by anyone.
Rachel
After living in a Pilgrim community, you and your family decide to
move into the wilderness all alone. Your family consists of five people; a father,
mother, and three children. While living in the wilderness, you will be required
to make life and death decisions based on different situations.
Stranded in
a Blizzard
Your family of four has just gotten their car stuck in a snow embankment
on the way to a snow skiing resort. The next group of people will not be coming
on the road for one week. How will you exist for that week?
We Need
Water!!!
A town near the Appalachian Mountains is in a serious drought. The
only source of water is the nearby lake on top of one of the mountains. How
can you get the water to them?
Endangered Animals
Due to last week's tornado the city zoo has been demolished. Your
table is a group of contractors and you have been hired to rebuild the zoo.
You have a piece of land that is 36" by 36" to work with. You must
consider climate, food, and space needed for each animal. You must also consider
the society's interests.
Pilgrims
After living in a Pilgrim community, you and your family decide to
move into the wilderness all alone. Your family consists of five people; a father,
mother, and three children. While living in the wilderness, you will be required
to make life and death decisions based on different situations.
Hiking and no
tent!
The students are on a three day hiking trip. There are
four people per group. The person in the group who was in charge of bringing
the tent supplies (tent, rope, knife, and stakes) forgot to pack all of it.
The day is coming to an end and it will be very dark soon. What will the students
do?
A Wolf-Proof House
Everyone in the world needs the security of a house to sleep in, and
food to eat. As a group, you will have to solve the problem of survival.
The Wolf Strikes
Back
The Pigs are trying to outsmart you at this very moment. They are
constructing new homes that they're hoping you cannot get into. Can you prove
them wrong?
The Ugly Duckling
- A Play
The children are producing a play based on Hans Christian Anderson's
The Ugly Duckling. The time frame for completion of the entire activity
is two weeks. The children are to rewrite the play text, design and make costumes,
develop and build the stage scenery and build props.
Design Your
Own School
Working in groups, design and construct a plan
for a new elementary school, making it the best learning environment possible.
Each group must take into consideration the following special conditions: The
library must be easily accessible, yet in a quiet area. The building must include
a gymnasium, art room, music room, technology education room and special education
room. More design constraints follow.
Gilligani
A
crew of four was aboard a yacht destined for the Bahamas when it was engulfed
in a squall. Shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, the crew must construct a
craft that will return them to civilization.
Parking
You
have been asked by the
city planning committee
to develop a parking facility that uses simple machines to get from the first
floor to the second floor. The floor plan and design have been provided for
you. You must derive a method to make this facility functional.
Keep Your Cool
The students
are to design and construct a cooler using the materials provided for them.
They will need to keep the ice cube from melting as little as possible within
twenty minutes. To meet their goals, they will need to work together. They will
need to be creative in using their problem solving skills. Their knowledge of
insulators will be put to the test when they have to choose what materials they
will use.
Space colony
The students must design a colony with a limited
amount of money, $10 million, and are required to buy a minimum of each item.
The space resort will be built to occupy 100 people.
Explore
In our small town of Kosiosko, we have an explorer
wax museum which contains several wax sculptures of famous explorers in history.
People such as Lewis and Clark, Columbus, and Neil Armstrong are all depicted
in this museum. The explorer wax museum has contracted our 5th grade class to
construct a miniature golf course for their lawn. They would like to add a recreational
aspect to their wax museum. It is the opportunity and challenge of every 5th
grader to construct on hole of the explorer miniature golf course.
Seating
Many people have been complaining
that they cannot see the gym floor very well when they come to watch the high
school teams play sports. Because of this, the sixth grade class will redesign
the gymnasium so that there is more seating available and so all of the spectators
can see the gym floor well.
State Park design
The city has just decided to open a State Park
in some undeveloped land on the south side of town. How would you use the materials
to create a park that still respects the environment?
Stranded!
On July 22, a small commuter plane, containing
four people, has crashed two hundred miles of the coast of Florida on a small
deserted island. The island is completely out of reach from any form of civilization.
With no means of communication, since the aircraft's radio was destroyed in
landing, the four individuals must survive using the few remains salvaged from
the plane and the resources of the island.
Hiking
A flood arises and the student hikers lose most
of their gear. Left with only the natural materials that are found at their
campsite (wood, clay, leaves, and rock), and their few surviving materials (drawn
at random) they now have to find a way to cross the river home.
Restaurant
You
have been hired by ESTE Food Corp. to design a new restaurant. This restaurant
needs to appeal to all ages. You will need to be able to seat at least 150 people.
Tornado
In the spring of the year a tornado may occur in your area. Tornadoes
are funnel clouds which are know as twisters. These destructive clouds can destroy
whole communities leaving people in the community homeless. The only way people
can be safe from these violent twisters is to be underground or in a safely
designed shelter.
School Fair
The school fair committee has asked the fourth
grade class to design a layout for the school fair. The design must follow guidelines.
Preschool Playground
The general idea of this project is to build a
playground for a new preschool. In the process you will be working toward a
final goal of earning an Environmental Award. This reward will be rewarded at
the end of the school year. The challenge is to build a modernized, kid-safe,
playground out of recyclable materials for preschool age children.
Build a Bird's nest out of recyclables
This world produces many resources which
all inhabitants have taken for granted. We use these resources for many things
such as food, transportation, and most importantly shelter. The loss of these
materials would not only affect people, but also living creatures such as
birds. Birds are animals that have manipulated the use of natural resources
in building their shelters.
Create a playground
Building a playground is an expensive task. It takes a lot of planning. Planning
involves what type of equipment is used and the cost of building the playground.
Community Parks
Community parks are a gathering place for children and adults of all ages.
They provide recreation and relaxation in the crowded and busy atmosphere
of the city, they may be the only source of nature in the urban setting, and
they can be a central location to gather in a rural setting.
Help! We can't get out!
A group of students, one visually impaired, one hearing impaired, one physically
handicapped, and
one both hearing and visually impaired, have just experienced an explosion
somewhere in the building. This
explosion has caused multiple fires and massive destruction.
Catapult your way out of this one!
Catapults were first used by the ancient Greeks and later by the Roman Empire
in the battles of medieval Europe. The ancient catapult was a mechanism for
forcefully propelling stones, spears, or other projectiles. Catapults were
most commonly used to break apart castle walls or force missiles and arrows
over castle walls. Modern catapults use hydraulic pressure, tension or other
forces to launch missiles, gliders and aircraft.
First class levers can also be used to create catapults. The first class lever
consists of the fulcrum, the top of the stand, the lever arms, the length
of the board between the stand and each end of the seesaw, and the load, what
is to be lifted. A first class lever makes it easier to lift a load. The closer
the fulcrum is to the load, the less effort needed to lift the load. The first
class lever is the most useful type of lever when constructing a catapult.
Bridge Over Bothersome Waters
Many people in your school building have been complaining because they live
close to the school building, but there is a river that they must cross that
only has bridges on the North side and South side of town. Therefore, they
must take a route that leads them miles out of their way. You and your committee
are to design a model bridge that crosses the river in a more convenient spot.
Design your own restaurant
While we may do it for financial reasons, entertainment or convenience, we
don’t always take into consideration the planning involved in the construction
of a restaurant that suits the needs of its consumers.
Design a greenhouse
The student will develop a greenhouse and have a plant in it survive the
winter.
Habitat with Legos
Homes are places that families build to live in and are designed to keep
families comfortable. A family’s home is also built for shelter from poor
weather conditions, such as rain and snow. Habitat for Humanity is an organization
builds homes families who are less fortunate, and in need of a place to live.
This is a non-profit organization that raises its money from fund-raisers
and donations. The work done on the designing and construction of the homes
is usually donated or done at a low cost.
Playground
The school is in need of a new playground. The school board has decided that
the students of the school can help come up with the design of the playground
and have input on what equipment they want. This gives you the student some
ownership to the playground that is at your school
Hurricane George
A vital part of our lives is survival and shelter.
Shelter protects us from the harshness that sometimes comes from nature.
Sometimes the shelters we build might not withstand some of the things that
nature can throw at us.
Build a farm
You have just bought a land in Indiana, lets build
a farm.
Classroom Carnival
It summer time! Students will be creating several carnival games to play.
Design a Classroom
The classroom is an environment that must be conducive
to learning. Most classrooms contain similar items. These items, such as desks,
tables, chairs, cabinets, and bookshelves are very movable. If these items
are never moved than the classroom becomes very boring and monotonous. A classroom
that is never changed will result in students that are very bored. When students
are bored, they don’t learn as well. Because of this, the children will be
given the opportunity to change the classroom.
Building weather proof homes
Children learn that people live
in many different regions around the world, and these areas have different
weather conditions that effect how their homes are built. The children
will learn that how a house is constructed, and the materials that are used
are important determining factors to whether or not the house can withstand
the prevailing conditions.