Positives

• Students will love this hands-on and collaborative activity where they can showcase their creativity and problem-solving skills.
• The resource includes pictures of students participating in the activity, which makes it easier for teachers and students to visualize the activity in their classrooms.

Additional Prerequisites

• The lesson is available in five other languages.
• Teachers must provide various materials for students to use to build their designs. Teachers could also ask students to bring in materials from home.
• A student worksheet is provided.
• Students should understand that the sun's energy creates heat.

Differentiation

• This lesson is perfect for engineering classes to practice the design and testing process.
• Earth science classes can use this resource when learning about the impacts of climate change on coastal communities and sea-level rise adaptation strategies.
• The background information about weather and climate, climate change, and the greenhouse effect is brief. Teachers can supplement with other StC resources, such as this video about weather vs climate and this interactive simulation of the greenhouse effect.
• Students can present their final designs to the class and share what challenges they faced in the process.
• Students can research the structure types to make more informed design decisions before beginning the experiment.