Teacher Monica Reiss turned third- and fourth-graders into architects as they built tiny houses out of cardboard.

Reiss told the Northwestern Lehigh School Board, at a recent meeting, the program started by viewing an episode of “Tiny House Builders.”

The students created and designed tiny houses so they could make a community incorporating real-life architecture.

The houses were sketched on graph paper and included certain requirements. Each student had a checkoff sheet to be sure each item was included. They could add extras but not subtract from the list.

Furniture was included. The roofs could be removed so the interiors could be seen.

They figured how many square feet (on scale) would be needed for furniture. The found the perimeter. There were four rooms in each house.

The young architects drew and colored what they needed and then cut out the pieces, which were decorated to make them more realistic.

Reiss explained the students who brought their work for the school directors to see, knew they were expected to talk about the process.

Superintendent Mary Anne Wright told the youngsters she was impressed with the work and how it was done.