Learning Through Making

Every school year in the spring, we give our class a research project of some kind. Our main social studies umbrella for first grade is Community, and the research we have asked the students to complete has gone through several different iterations over time. For a few years, the students all researched schools, and thought deeply about the system of a school and all the parts and people that it takes to make a school run smoothly. Before that, we asked them to research a particular business in the community - a bakery, a grocery store, the subway/bus system, to name a few - and think about how that particular business fits into the community as a whole. Why do we need all those different businesses? Now, over the past few years, we decided to change our research to community helpers. Each student has a different community helper to research and then needs to share about that person's role in the community with the rest of the class.

The common denominator in all of these research projects over the years, however, has been how the students share their learning. We make things. During the year, I collect shoeboxes. My family has come to know never to put a shoebox into the recycling bin, but it goes into my bag so I can take it and store it in my classroom. (As a side note, shoeboxes take up A LOT of storage space!!) This often isn't enough for my whole class, but thankfully we have managed every year to collect enough shoeboxes so each student in our class has one and we have a few left over for spare cardboard (as needed). 

The students bring books home to read and discuss with their families. When they return to school, they talk about what they learned with a partner. Then we let them know that they are going to have lots and lots of class time to make a building that represents where that community helper works and shows some of the things they have learned about that profession. 

We start by drawing out a plan.

Then we look at photos of past first grade projects, thinking about how other first graders decided to use the materials. Students are inspired by the orientation of the box (a vertical box can usually have a second floor glued in, and a horizontal box can give a bird's eye view with a few rooms); the type of box (attached top or separate top?); and different styles of making doors, windows, stairs, and walls. Choosing the right box is key!

After that, we change our schedule a little bit and give the students lots of time to experiment and build. This year, we gave them a solid hour each day for a week and it was truly amazing how they used their time. We told them that they needed a plan before taking any of the materials and that made a difference. When going to the supply shelf, students would let us know that they were taking one wood block and a flat triangle to make a chair. One student, who researched a scientist, took three pipe cleaners to make a double helix shape that she saw in one of her books. They are talking with each other as they are building about their community helpers and finding connections. The student learning about a mayor learned that he is connected to the student studying a police officer. 

The thing that I love about allowing students to have the time to really dig into their work in a different way is how much the students own their learning. Yes, some conversations around the table as they are building are about what they are going to play at recess. However, more often than not, the conversations switch to what they are doing - how did they decide to make a table, make a wall, make an animal? They tell others what they know about their community helper and why they are making something for their building. The girl studying a scientist found some scrapbook paper with a map of the world. She thought that scientists would want something like that in their lab. She also inspired the student researching a teacher. That student also thought a map might be important in their building. 

Next week we are going to make clothespin people for our buildings and add a simple circuit to light up and highlight the part of our building that we want people to really notice.