The children in 5th and 6th class were set a challenge:

Can you create a house that is suitable for a tropical climate?

From their studies of tropical climates, the children knew that these climates are very wet, so their house would need to be able to sustain high levels of rain. The children worked in small groups to try and create a house that would keep the contents inside dry. Their houses also had other features such as being raised on stilts as areas in the tropics flood regurally. The children were given no direction with materials and had to come up with materials they felt would be suitable themselves and give reasons why. There was a lot of discussion, listening and compromising within the groups as the children worked through the challenge with the aim of being successful in their task.

Each group were very excited to test their houses by simulating rain and then checking to see if the tissue inside remained dry.