Lesson Plan - Starting to Build:
Framing and Roofing

Purpose:

• To understand how a house frame is made.
• To compare a frame to the skeleton of the body.
• To determine how a heavy roof is supported.
• To learn the common name for the skeleton of the roof.
• To understand how the roof is added to a house.
• To identify several types of roofs.
• To become acquainted with trades people for each special job.

Review Background
Review what happens after the land is cleared. Briefly discuss the foundation and its importance to the structure.


Importance of this Lesson:
This lesson will allow students to understand how once the foundation is laid, studs are put in place which will become the supports for the entire building.


Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, the learner will demonstrate understandings of the building process by:

• Orally stating how the foundation is the important support system.
  
• Identifying basic materials by matching items to a specific trades person.
  
• Matching vocabulary to various elements given in the lesson
  
• Orally comparing the frame of a house to the body's skeleton
  
• Illustrating weignt bearing walls.
  
• Drawing different types of roofs
  
• Selecting various materials for flooring
  

Motivation:
Have students discuss the skeleton of their bodies. Sing the Skeleton song starting with the feet. Relate this to the skeleton of a house, the studs.


Activities/Procedures:
The teacher and/or student will:

• Discuss the purpose of a "frame."
• Have new words listed or on word cards for matching. Discuss how the frame is made.
• Discuss roofing matenals.
• Identify each worker responsible for each job.
• Construct a frame using pipecleaners.
• Discuss how openings are made in the frame and how they are strengthened.
• Have students construct several roofs; one made of popcicle sticks, another of construction paper and another of his/her choice.
• Discuss the strength of each type of roof construction made.
• Introduce and discuss different materials used for roofing.
• Discuss vocabulary words as they appear during the lesson.
• Discuss how openings are strengthened.
• Compare the songs "Dem Bones" and "Oh The Skeleton ".
• Discuss some of the materials that are used to hold joints, studs, the roof, etc. together.
• Lead students to determine what "load or weight-bearing" walls are, and where they might be located (generally the outer walls).
  
• Use pipecleaners to develop the skeleton of a house (this activity could coincide with the foundation in Lesson 1).
• Discuss why framing is needed throughout the interior.
• After discussion, have students to illustrate the three types of roofs,; hip, gable, and flat.
• Discuss materials used on the roof, plywood, flashing, and shingles.
• Discuss the sequence of adding the roof:
  • Plywood placed over rafters
  • Rolled and attached on top of plywood
  • Shingles, and flashings added
• Using construction paper, have children make "shingles" and glue onto milk cartons for the roof.
  
• Complete other activities (included).
  

Materials:

• vocabulary words
• glue
• construction paper
• scissors
• milk cartons (small)
• pipecleaners
• popcicle sticks
• samples of different nails
• scraps of roofing materials
• roofing felt
• pictures of house frames

Early Finishers (Enrichment):
Create a "Construction Center" that would include materials that children can experiment building different types of frames and/or roofs. Cut out pictures from magazines to stimulate ideas. This could be a continuous project where children can work on their constructions at any spare time.


Special Needs:
Interacting with materials used to develop the frame and roof for the construction projects, will allow for the development of motor, observational, and vocabulary skills. Picture and three dimensional representations will remain on display.

---

Return to School To Work Lesson Plans - Framing and Roofing

---