Waterproof the Roof View larger

Waterproof the Roof

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Design and construct a roof that will protect a cardboard house from getting wet.

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Family Take-home Activity

A take-home that can be sent with patrons that wish to do STEM activities at home. These at-home activities cover similar topic areas as the associated activity and could be handed out at the conclusion of a program or left on a circulation desk for patrons to take home.

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  • Rating 
  • Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
    Participants Learned from This Activity 
    Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
    Would Recommend 

Related Programming Resources

Related Links The National Severe Storms Laboratory,"Severe Weather 101"
What are water and air resistance?
Water Resistance
What is Water Resistance?
THE PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS
Absorbing Experiments
Properties of Materials
Originating Source Dream Big
Related Books
[Suggest a book]
Earthquake!: The 1906 San Francisco Nightmare by Lynn Brunelle
A Project Guide to Earthquakes by Claire O'Neal
What Protects Us During Natural Disasters? by Lisa Owings
Can We Protect People From Natural Disasters? by Catherine Chambers
Earthquake Games by Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori
Hurricanes by Gail Gibbons
Avalanche and Landslie Alert! by Vanessa Walker
Rosie Revere's Big Project Book for Bold Engineers
Engineered!: Engineering Design at Work
Engineer Academy, by Steve Martin and Nastia Sleptsova

Reviews

 
Rating 
Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
Participants Learned from This Activity 
Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
Would Recommend 
04/30/2018

Fun and informative

I used this project in a session for 1st and 2nd graders on extreme weather. We spent time talking about different weather issues and what causes them, and then we moved into talking about how buildings are designed to withstand extreme weather. We looked at a slideshow of different designs, and then started on the project.
For the project, we had kids work in groups of 4, and together they worked on creating a waterproof roof for their cardstock houses (we used cardstock, rather than cardboard). We gave them paper, tinfoil, wax paper, popsicle sticks, cotton balls, and some other random materials to try out.
Their designs were quite inventive, and most withstood a good amount of water. To test the roofs, we placed the houses on a baking cooling rake in a bin, and used a watering can to rain down water.
The kids were delighted to see how the houses withstood the rain and had a wonderful time.
Hands down, I would do this program again, and it would be perfect for a multitude of age groups. For older kids, I would recommend adding more challenges to the project- limiting the materials, installing a time limit- to keep it engaging.

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Waterproof the Roof

Waterproof the Roof

Design and construct a roof that will protect a cardboard house from getting wet.