Shelter

No matter what form a shelter takes – whether it’s England’s Blenheim Palace, with its 320 rooms, or a one-room felt yurt in Mongolia – it’s always “home, sweet home” to someone. See how anything and everything has been used to build shelters throughout history, including unexpected materials like cow dung, bottles, foam, and paper. The importance of shelter hits home for kids with discussions of how people are able to survive in the most extreme environments by building on stilts, building underground, and even living in caves.

Need to keep warm? Find out how igloos are built – then have kids make their own out of sugar cubes. Need to stay cool? Learn how adobe and stone houses reflect heat, and how “wind scoops” have been used on roofs in Pakistan to cool the rooms below for over 500 years. Catch up with houses on the move, from tepees and trailers to tents in the desert. And what about a floating shelter? For kids who love the sea, descriptions of sampans and houseboats are sure to entice. Finally, blast into the future with forward-thinking architects, including Michael Reynolds, whose “earth ships” are built out of dirt, tires, and beer cans. Explaining the history of shelter, for kids, has never been more down to earth!

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