Shoe Box House

Shoe Box House - Design Brief

Objective -

Students will design and construct a shoe box house that will provide the greatest amount of insulation.

Materials -

Shoe box with lid Aluminum foil

Cardboard Styrofoam

Wooden dowels Newspaper

Plastic Craft sticks

Glue Glue sticks

Tools -

Scissors

Xacto knife

Ruler

Hot glue gun

Limitations -

Teams will use only the materials provided.

No power tools will be used.

Requirements -

House should be no larger than the shoe box. A roof may be added, but must be to scale.

All insulation will be inside the house. Floor space must be available in the house.

House must have at least 2 windows and 1 door opening.

The exterior of the house must be decorated to resemble a house.

House will have a container (paper cup) to hold a ice cube.

Teams must provide a sketch of the house design.

Teams must provide a list of materials used in the construction of the house.

House roof must be easily opened and closed to monitor the ice cube during testing.

Testing -

Instructor will provide one ice cube for each house.

The time that that the house receives the ice cube will be recorded.

Houses will be checked at intervals, and recorded. Those houses that the ice cube has melted will be eliminated.

No team may touch or tamper with the houses once testing starts.

Evaluation -

House design sketch = 10 points

List or Bill of materials = 10 points

The house with the best insulation. The longest time = 20 points

Houses with the ice cube lasting 75% of the longest time = 18 points

Houses with the ice cube lasting 50% of the longest time = 17 points

Houses with the ice cube lasting 25% of the longest time = 16 points

House submitted to testing less than 25% of the longest time = 15 points

No house submitted = 0 points

Options -

Temperatures can be monitored.

Weight of the house can be measured to calculate material used.