Wild Weather STEM Activity:Shelters for Severe Weather & Natural Disasters
Build, Design & Defend – A Hands-On Weather STEM Activity for Exploring Severe Weather & Natural Disasters!
Looking for an engaging way to teach STEM Earth Science? This hands-on challenge gets students thinking critically as they design and build shelters to withstand various types of severe weather or natural disasters.
Design and construct a shelter that can endure extreme weather conditions or natural disasters like tornadoes & blizzards or earthquakes
Follow real-world engineering constraints to guide their designs. 
Test their shelters and analyze their effectiveness.
The Challenge:
Students work individually or in teams to:
Design and construct a shelter that can endure extreme weather conditions or natural disasters like tornadoes & blizzards or earthquakes Follow real-world engineering constraints to guide their designs. Test their shelters and analyze their effectiveness.
Teacher Support
- Video walk-through of the challenge and STEM implementation tips to make prep a breeze
- Step-by-step instructions, modifications for different grade levels, and extension activities.
Editable Student Handouts:
- Planning pages
- Criteria & constraints lists
- Analysis templates
- Reflection questions
Bonus Extension Handouts / Activities:
- Weather forecasting and graphing templates
- Evaporation and water cycle diagrams
- Shelter ratings and superlatives templates
- Postcard writing prompts for creative reflection
- Process flow maps and math problem-solving activities
Increasing engagement & interest in Earth Science lessons on slow and fast changes to Earth, weather & natural disasters
First Day of Spring centers or early finisher activities
Earth Day activities Real-World Learning: Aligned with NGSS standards for engineering and Earth science.
Flexible & Adaptable: Use common classroom materials to fit your students' needs.
Engaging & Hands-On: Encourages creativity while reinforcing key science concepts.
Teacher-Friendly Resources: Step-by-step instructions, modifications for different grade levels, and extension activities.
Year-Round Use: Great for spring STEM challenges or science enrichment anytime
