How Would You Design a Lighthouse?

In this activity, students read about two problems encountered by ships at sea. They read about how lighthouses can solve those problems. The compare different lighthouse pictures and identify common parts of lighthouses. They look at the patterns on lighthouse towers, learn why there are many different ones used, and draw their own unique lighthouse pattern. They design a lighthouse model, then build one using materials found around the house. This activity is adapted from a grade 1 physical science module in Smithsonian Science for the Classroom.
 
Resources to support this activity are below.