Planning

The students in room three have been engaged in the science unit, Building Things. 

The overview for the science topic, Building Things is as follows: Students learn about materials by using them to construct a variety of objects, including model buildings, toys, boats and vehicles.  Students select materials to use and gain experience as they cut and shape, fold, pile materials on top of one another, join parts, and try different techniques to achieve the result that they intend.  In the process, they learn to look at objects that are similar to what they are trying to construct and, with guidance begin to recognize the component parts that make up the whole.

Building things is one of my favorite units to teach in the grade one/two curriculum.  I interpret the topic as being open ended, allowing for multiple opportunities and points of entry that are generated from their interests.  As a teacher the beginning time in this unit is for exploration and discovery.  I watch the students carefully for themes or interests to emerge.   I gather information, books and videos to support the learning that has been evolving in the classroom.  We are presently at the beginning stages of this unit. 

Rinaldi (1998) believes that teachers need to "discuss fully all the possible ways that the project could be anticipated to evolve, considering the likely ideas, hypotheses, and choices of children and the directions they may take. By so doing, they prepare themselves for all the subsequent stages of the project, while leaving ample space for changes, for the unexpected, and for moments of stasis and disgression." P. 118

During the planning stage of this unit, the following questions emerged;

How does design effect the way we use a building (structure)?  E.g. flow of traffic, meeting spaces...

How does environment effect the materials used and the type of structure to be built?

What is the most crucial part to the structure?  What is the skeleton?

Can we categorize structures?  Are there common features among them?

What relationship does math play into structure?

Who are the professionals?  How can I access their expertises?

Questions I had related to the planning of the unit are;

How much knowledge of structures is necessary first, before individual structures are built?

Where is the child's interest?

What materials are available to them?  What do we need to do to access them?

How can I slow things down enough and provide for multiple opportunities to guide conversation and allow for reflection?

How does our classroom environment change to allow for movement and structures to be built?

Can a structure be broken down into separate parts?  E.g. beams and columns, materials, fasteners

How do I as a teacher monitor the separate projects?

Will I notice a gender difference between the children? 

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