Emergency Shelter Design

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Overview

This 120-minute Technology lesson for Years 4 6 challenges students to collaboratively design, build, and evaluate an outdoor survival shelter prototype that can protect two people from weather conditions during a simulated storm. Students will work hands-on using limited materials to create shelters that provide protection from rain and wind, ensuring safe entry and exit, stable anchoring, and occupant comfort. The lesson supports diverse learners through structured steps, clear roles, and predictable routines.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify and explain a technological need for outdoor survival shelters that protect occupants from weather conditions during storms
• Plan and sketch a shelter design that includes a stable base, roof with overhang, and a door opening fitting two people side-by-side or one after the other (door width to accommodate two finger-to-wrist width proxies based on cardboard scale)
• Construct a prototype shelter collaboratively using limited materials (cardboard, masking tape, paint sheets) applying measurement and spatial reasoning
• Test and evaluate shelter performance against simulated storm conditions (water spray and wind proxy via fan)
• Suggest improvements based on testing results using reflective reasoning and peer feedback

These objectives align with Technology Learning Area outcomes for Years 4 6 focused on designing technological outcomes that respond to outdoor survival needs and critically evaluating their effectiveness.

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Key Competencies

• Thinking: Using creative and critical thinking to generate, test, and reflect on shelter designs
• Relating to Others: Collaborating respectfully and sharing ideas in small groups to build shelters
• Participating and Contributing: Engaging actively in team roles to complete the challenge
• Managing Self: Setting goals, managing materials, persevering through challenges, and self-assessing progress

These competencies underpin all lesson phases and reflect a holistic, relational, and reflective approach to learning.

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Materials Needed

• Cardboard (main structural material)
• Tables (used as testing/working surfaces only; not part of shelter structure unless teacher permits)
• Paint sheets (plastic or painted thin sheet material) used only as roof or wall sheeting; not for structural base or door frames
• Cardboard strips and tape for weighting/strapping to anchor base
• Scissors, rulers or measuring tapes
• Paper templates: two "Paper Person" cut-outs and a door-fit gauge template (e.g., 12 cm x 16 cm rectangle) to measure door opening size
• Small model figures or objects to represent a person
• Spray bottles or watering cans for rain simulation
• A fan or hairdryer for wind simulation
• Sketch paper and pencils

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Lesson Plan

1. Introduction and Context Setting (20 minutes)

• Begin with questions: What happens during a storm or bad weather? Why do people need shelters that can protect them from rain, wind, and cold?
• Present outdoor survival shelter challenge: summary of the problem, needs, and criteria.
• Use visual supports and simple vocabulary flashcards related to shelter, weather, storm, door, base, roof, and materials.
• Discuss collaboratively in groups, encourage oral contributions, and model sentence frames for explaining needs.
• Use total physical response (TPR) for new vocabulary.

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2. Identifying Need and Success Criteria (15 minutes)

• Brainstorm as a class the key features a shelter must have to protect two people during outdoor conditions.
• Write or draw these criteria on a shared board, emphasizing:
  • Stability: shelter stays upright and stable on a table during simulated storm
  • Protection: simulated occupants (paper/foam figures) remain dry and protected inside during water spray and wind tests
  • Access: door opening must be at least the width of two students side-by-side using finger-to-wrist proxy or a teacher-made cardboard template (e.g., a 12 cm x 16 cm rectangle) that fits two "Paper Person" cut-outs passing through simultaneously without tilting
  • Base: stable and anchored using weighting/strapping with cardboard strips and tape to keep base stable during tests
  • Roof: provides cover using paint sheets only as roof or wall sheeting; roof must extend beyond walls by 3 3 cm overhang (teacher-defined)
  • Optional: create a flap or vent that can open/close to represent airflow
• Teacher to prepare and provide paper "Paper Person" templates and door-fit gauge for students to measure door openings.
• Students work in mixed-ability groups of 3 4, first verbally discussing ideas, then sketching initial designs on paper.

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3. Design Planning and Sketching (15 minutes)

• Introduce the engineering design cycle steps explicitly: ask, imagine, plan, create, test, improve.
• Each group creates a labelled diagram of their shelter design including door dimensions, base anchoring, and roof.
• Groups prepare a checklist of requirements their design meets.
• Each group selects a spokesperson to explain their shelter concept orally to the class using sentence frames.
• Teacher circulates, scaffolding language and encouraging vocabulary use.

4. Prototype Construction (30 minutes)

• Groups use cardboard as the main structural material to build their shelters.
• Tables are used as testing and working surfaces only and should not be part of the shelter structure unless the teacher permits.
• Paint sheets are used only as roof or wall sheeting and must be tied or secured to prevent collapse.
• Use cardboard strips and tape (provided by teacher) for weighting and strapping to anchor the base and keep it stable during testing.
• Encourage roles: measurer, builder, tester, recorder of observations.
• Follow health and safety rules.
• Teacher supports with prompts in English, encouraging trial and error and collaboration.

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5. Testing and Evaluation (25 minutes)

• Test shelters using safe classroom storm simulation:
  • Teacher uses a spray bottle to gently spray water onto the shelter roof and walls, avoiding electrical items.
  • Teacher uses a fan aimed at the roof to simulate wind.
• Observe and record if shelter remains stable on the table (no tipping), occupants stay dry inside (using paper towels under the "people"), and door access is maintained.
• Ensure safety by supervising all testing activities closely; no heavy water or unsafe conditions.
• Groups record observations with simple symbols or drawings and orally share with another group or the class.

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6. Reflection and Improvement Suggestions (15 minutes)

• Groups reflect orally and/or in writing on:

  • What worked well in our outdoor survival shelter design?
  • What changed after testing in the simulated storm?
  • How will we improve our shelter to better protect from weather?

• Teacher collates key ideas on a shared chart to review learning and support iterative improvement.

• Include te reo phrases related to shelter (whare, whare noho) and weather (hau, ua, āwhā) to enrich vocabulary.

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Assessment

• Observe students' ability to identify the technological need for earthquake-proof shelters and plan designs meeting specific criteria.
• Checkpoint during planning: review labelled diagrams and requirement checklists for completeness, including door size measured with templates.
• Evaluate collaboration and application of measurement and spatial reasoning during prototype construction using cardboard as main structural material.
• Assess testing and evaluation skills based on shelter stability, occupant protection, and access, focusing on cardboard structural integrity and paint sheet cover protection.
• Review students' suggestions for improvement and reflective reasoning after testing.
• Final evaluation includes a brief reflection on design changes following testing.

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Differentiation and Behavioural Support

• Use flexible grouping, allowing students to work with language buddies or classroom support staff.
• Provide sentence stems and visual supports to scaffold language and task steps.
• Allow hands-on participation to maintain engagement and meet diverse learning needs.
• Use clear routines and signal words in te reo Māori to help manage behaviour and transitions effectively.
• Celebrate all attempts and progress to build self-efficacy and confidence.

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Teaching and Learning Links

• Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Technology strand: Design and develop technological outcomes based on needs, apply knowledge of materials and construction, evaluate and reflect (Ngā Whāinga Ako Hangarau mō ngā Tau 4-6).
• Key competencies: Fostered through collaborative problem-solving, communication, and self-management
• Language Learning: Integrates and builds oral te reo Māori in authentic contexts, using bilingual scaffolds to support students new to the language in a rural bilingual classroom setting.

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Whakarāpopototanga

This lesson plan blends meaningful, culturally responsive technology learning with te reo Māori language immersion and practical, hands-on engagement. It supports beginning teachers in a bilingual, mixed-ability setting and invites students to engage in real-world problem-solving that develops skills, competencies, and language in a safe and collaborative environment.

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If desired, I can provide bilingual printable vocabulary and sentence stems to support te reo Māori development during this lesson. Would you like me to prepare those?