Building

Boys and girls share a strong desire for designing and creating various structures using a variety of blocks. It reinforced the learning of shapes and why some shapes are used in building and some are not used. This is an amazing way to observe evidence of the students learning by listening to their communication skills amongst each other and examimation of their problem solving strategies when difficulties with the structure arise. Add some dinosaurs to the construction (block) area and suddenly the imagination wheels are going at a rapid speed. They are building dungeons and draw bridges, and gates in order to keep the dinosaurs save so they are not "extinct" any longer.

 

 

 

Great explanation of drawbridge and why it is used and how it helps the dinosaur. This child even explained in detail what exists under the drawbridge (crocodiles and sharks) and there is a special code for those who are not the enemy so they can cross safely.

 

 

During the planning and creating of this structure the boys were building the tall part of the structure and suddenly the stopped and stated, "I think we should stop building it so tall because it is not as stable as it should be. Instead we should start making it longer and wider rather than taller". The other boy explained, "yes and we will add these smaller blocks and they will be stabilizers to make it more stable". This was just one example of fabulous learning and communication about stability in a structure.