Emergency shelter for people

Year 7
Stem Unit Preview

Problem / Challenge

Natural disasters such as floods, fire or damage to homes from extreme weather events can lead to individuals or families being left without adequate shelter. Economic or social issues may also result in people not being able to access adequate housing to meet their needs.

Brief

In groups, your task is to design and build a secure, moveable and sustainable dwelling to help meet the need for short-term/emergency accommodation in Tasmania.

Resources

Australian Curriculum Links

Science

Science Understanding

  • Interactions between organisms (ACSSU112)
  • Renewable and non-renewable resources (ACSSU116)

Science as a Human Endeavour

  • Use of science understanding in occupations and influence on development of human activity (ACSHE121)

Science Inquiry Skills

  • Identify questions and problems to be investigated scientifically (ACSIS124)
  • Conduct a range of investigations (ACSIS125)
  • Measure and control variables, select and use appropriate equipment (ACSIS126)
  • Construct a range of data representations (ACSIS129)
  • Summarise data (ACSIS130)
  • Reflect on investigation and evaluate quality of data (ACSIS131)
  • Evaluate claims based on findings from investigation (ACSIS132)
  • Communicate scientific ideas and information (ACSIS133)

Design and Technologies

Technologies and society

  • Products, services & environments and the impact of social, ethical & sustainability (ACTDEK029)

Food and fibre production

Design Process

Mathematics

Measurement and Geometry

  • Areas of rectangles, triangles, and parallelograms (ACMMG159)
  • Volume of rectangular prisms (ACMMG160)

Number and Algebra

  • Fractions –equivalent, positive & negative, mixed numbers (ACMNA152)
  • Fractions, Decimals and percentages conversions (ACMNA157)
  • Percentages of quantities, one quantity as quantity as a percentage of the other (ACMNA158)
  • Problems involving simple ratios (ACMNA173)
  • ‘Best buys’ (ACMNA174)

Statistics and Probability

  • Numerical data from primary and secondary sources (ACMSP169)
  • Describe and interpret data using mean, median, and range (ACMSP172)

School Overview

Brooks High School is a co-educational government secondary school in Rocherlea, in northern Tasmania Australia. The school is located in a suburban setting, teaching around 700 students in Years 7 to 10.