Materials
- photos of towns and cities
- blocks
- various types of boxes
- lunch bags
- clean milk and juice cartons
- paper
- markers
- construction paper
- child-safe scissors
- tape
- string
- yarn
- glue
Preparation
Clear an area in the classroom where this project can sit for several days while the children complete it.
What To Do
1. Show the children pictures of towns and cities. Talk with the children about the various characteristics of each.
2. Tell the children they will be working together to create a model town in the classroom.
3. Show the children the materials, and invite them to explore ways to build buildings, homes, stores, and so on.
4. Consider helping the children build a basic plan for their town before proceeding.
5. As the children create buildings, help the children label them. Talk with the children about which buildings should go where, and listen as the children discuss and work through layout issues.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
- Can the children build individual buildings out of the materials?
- Are the children able to work together?
- If the children are working from a plan, how closely do they follow it?
-Sandie Nagel, White Lake, MI
