Real Shelter Building
Students learn real shelter-building skills by constructing functional bivy shelters, ridgeline shelters, hammocks, lean-to shelters, and freestanding shelters designed to provide protection from wind, rain, sun, and cold. Through hands-on building challenges, students apply knot-tying, lashing, and engineering principles while evaluating how shelter design affects warmth, stability, and weather resistance.
Cross Curricular
The Shelters Unit integrates science, engineering, and social studies through hands-on investigations of heat transfer, wind chill, insulation, weather protection, and the shelter-building practices of nomadic peoples. As students analyze data, evaluate shelter performance, and refine their designs, they apply engineering principles to solve real-world environmental challenges.
