To show students how engineering design practices reduce the impacts of a natural hazard, the authors--two science educators and an elementary teacher--taught a three-day 5E lesson that focused on hurricanes. They specifically focused on hurricanes because their students are located near a coastal area and are familiar with the effects of this natural disaster on homes and local structures. They used a performance task that asked students to build a structure that could withstand hurricane-strength winds, rain, and floods. This design process taught fourth-grade students the importance of selection and use of materials in design and building. Through the design process, students created and used their modeled structures to plan and carry out fair tests. Throughout the design process, students learned the importance of teamwork and problem solving.