Houses for Haiti - A Lesson Plan

Two amazing teachers in Florida came up with this creative idea to raise money for Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.  After discovering this project on the internet, I was inspired to try it for myself and work out the details.  Here's my lesson plan.... visit http://www.haitihouses.org/ to learn how you can be a part of this wonderful project!

Objectives:  

• Students will choose a worthy cause to support, such as supporting an orphanage or rebuilding homes in Haiti. 
• Students will use their creativity and design skills to create items they can sell as a fundraiser to support their cause! 

Materials:

• 1” strips of lightweight cardboard or chipboard
• 3” x 3” squares of decorative paper (at least 3 different designs).  This could be scrap booking paper, gift wrap, colorful magazines, or paper you decorate yourself.
• glue stick (for best results, use the Avery permanent glue stick)
• scissors
• masking tape
• pennies or other small coins
• Clear sealer (Diamond Glaze, Triple Thick or Pour Over all work well.  Diamond Glaze is easy to use and may be the least toxic.)

Directions:

1. First, cover your work surface with newspaper!
2. Cut your cardboard into squares, rectangles and triangles of various sizes.
3. Glue these shapes onto the back of your decorative paper.  Give the glue a minute or so to set. 
4. Next, cut around each of your shapes, cutting away the extra paper.
5. Then, glue a roof (triangle) to the top of each house (square or rectangle).
6. Use scraps of paper to add doors and windows.
7. Now, use a piece of masking tape to make a small tape roll and attach a coin to the back of your house. This creates a space between your house and your work surface so the sealer won’t end up attaching the two!  
8. Squeeze or pour a small amount of clear sealer onto the front of your house and spread it carefully with a soft brush, adding more sealer as needed.  You want the sealer to be thick, so don’t spread it too thin… only enough to completely cover the surface.  Work carefully, adding small amounts at a time, as it’s easy to add more, but not so easy to remove extra without wasting it.  (And be sure to wash your brush out right away, with soap, if you ever want to use it again!)
9. Set your house aside until the sealer is completely dry (drying time will vary with the type of product used).
10. Finally, use hot glue to attach a magnet or pin back to the back of your house.  Peel and stick magnetic tape also works well, since these are lightweight.  (If you plan to sell your houses, you can attach them to pre-printed cards that explain what the money raised will be used for.)

Closure:

• If this project is used as a fundraiser, set goals and track your progress.  Then be sure to celebrate when your goals are reached!

Extensions:

• This same technique can be used in a variety of different ways.  Small gifts can be made for holidays like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.  Working just a little bit larger, you can create unique Christmas ornaments.  Or, try working larger still to make decorative picture frames to enhance a special photo.  Just remember that your creation needs to lay flat to dry… this type of sealer can't be applied to vertical surfaces.