Experience

Guatemala

Guatemala

Build, Stack, and Shake

Meet a family that's moving into a Habitat for Humanity house in Guatemala, just as soon as the walls are up. Help make their home sturdy by using the proper materials and construction.

Did you know earthquakes are fairly common in Guatemala? How does this change the way homes must be built? Guatemala lies on a major fault zone known as the Motagua and Chixoy-Polochic fault complex. From big earthquakes in the past, builders have learned how homes must be constructed to stay standing even when earthquakes occur.

In Imagine a House Guatemala, workers are needed to side the walls with concrete blocks. Can you help us with this task? To make the house strong, be sure to:

  • Load the wheelbarrow to carry materials
  • Stack the blocks to build the house
  • Test the shake table and see if your structure stays standing 


Learn more about these topics through the books below.
Many of these books are at the Brookings Public Library.

Ages 3-6

Guatemala, In: Countries of the World, Michael Dahl*

Countries ABC Series, "Guatemala ABC’s", Marcie Aboff & Zachary Trover*

Mama and Papa Have a Store, Amelia Carling & Amelia Lau*

Ages 6-8

The Most Beautiful Place in the World, Ann Cameron
El Tapiz de Abuela, Omar S. Castaneda, Enrique O. Sanchez & Aida E. Marcuse*

Ages 9-12

Enchantment of the World. Second series, "Guatemala", Marion Morrison
Visual Geography Series, "Guatemala in Pictures", Rita Markel*

Let’s Discover America Series, "Guatemala", Charles Schields & James Henderson*
Enchantment of the World, Second Series, "
Guatemala", Marion Morrison*

Countries of the World Series National Geographic, "Guatemala", Anita Croy*

Guatemala, Questions & Answers Book, Mary Engler*
Rigoberta Menchu Tum: Activist for Indigenous Rights in Guatemala, Heather Lehr & Wagner Lehr*

Rigoberta Menchu: Defending Human Rights in Guatemala, Michael Silverstone*

 

*At the time of writing, these books were not found at the Brookings Library.