APRIL 2 2013 E D U C D E S I G N I N G A 4 7 0 6

LOTJE HIVES

Kera Potts, Amanda Dougherty & Danielle Liedtke

L E A R N I N G S P A C E

CONSTRUCTION ZONE
Building Children to Construct Their Future

Goals & Values

Children are naturally curious and the construction zone center will provide real and authentic learning experiences where students develop self-regulation while they play with others. Children will be able to practice planning skills, investigation, and problem solving as they work together in cooperative play. Multipurpose materials will inspire creativity and innovation as they used recycled materials in their construction. The goal of the construction zone learning space is that students can explore and develop the Big Ideas and Overall Expectations from all learning areas in an authentic and meaningful way.

Location
The blocks and building center should be located near other noisy and interactive centers, such as the sand and/or water table and should be furthest away from centers that require quiet and concentration, such as the reading center. The math and science center should also be nearby so students are able to freely borrow materials, such as math manipulatives, to ignite new wonderings and extensions of learning. Children should be provided with a large carpeted or tiled area where they can feel free to build.

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Furniture & Equipment

Furniture and equipment are used in the Construction Zone to encourage play and cooperation in children. These tools are used to teach and encourage responsibility, communication and creativity. The following can be used to achieve this:

Furniture & Equipment:

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Student Made Labels Overhead & Illumination Area Visual Displays Carpet & Building Space Clip Boards & Writing Materials Shelves & Storage Crates Baskets/Bins Bulletin Boards Camera/iPad

ade M t n e Stud ns! Sig

Management & Organization

Educators and children would co-construct the space in response to growing interests and wonderings. The area would be open for children to explore and to talk about their discoveries with their peers and the early learning team. Care of the space would be modeled through pictures and studentmade labels. Certain students would take responsibility for making sure the area stays tidy and organized.

Planning for Roles & Responsibilities

All materials are introduced into the classroom. This means talking about safe uses, shapes, where the children have seen the object before and what they children believe the object is used for. Children are able to explore uses and find new, creative, safe uses for materials.

Children are encouraged to share new learning and discovery. This is achieved through written methods (i.e. the Sharing book), class discussion (i.e. Megan found out that yellow and blue make green) and small group discussion (i.e. Look how Andrew built his robot).

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Health & Safety

Safe location, sturdy construction, and ongoing monitoring of equipment by educators is crucial and creates an authentic opportunity for students to learn about real life safety practices. There will be specific regulations in place to ensure that students can explore the environment in a safe way, without limiting their creativity. Children will be aware of the appropriate ways of interacting with each other while playing in the Construction Zone to ensure that they are not putting themselves or their peers in danger. Margie Carter in Making Your Environment The Third Teacher describes how certain rules dampened the childrens creativity in the Construction Zone learning center, The childrens enthusiasm for using the block area to create the tallest building in the world quickly waned when her director arrived with a reminder of the rule not to build higher than their shoulders. In our block center, we will have lightweight construction materials so that students can safely build structures any way they choose.

Learning Materials
Hard Hats & Safety Vests Blocks Recycled Materials Lego Construction Books Plastic Tools Materials from other Centers
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of Book s s a l C tures! c u r t S

Can We Build it? A Class Book of Structures Student Made Materials

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#1. Personal & Social Development

1.2 Demonstrate the ability to take turns in activities and discussions (e.g., engage in play activities with others, listen to peers and adults) ! !

Cross-Curric ular Integrated Le arning

I identify and use social skills in play and other situations I use problem-solving skills in a variety of social settings BIG IDEA: Children are connected to others and contribute to their world. Children have a strong sense of identify and well-being
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#2. Language

BIG IDEA: Children are effective communicators I communicate by talking, listening and speaking to others for a variety of purposes I communicate in writing, using strategies that are appropriate for beginners

1.2 Listen and respond to others for a variety of purposes 1.4 Follow and provide one- and two-step directions in different contexts 1.6 Use language to talk about their thinking, to reflect, and to solve problems 1.7 Use specialized vocabulary for a variety of purposes (e.g., terms for things they are building or equipment they are using) 4.3 Write simple messages (e.g., labels for a block or sand construction), using a combination of pictures and symbols

Literacy Rich Experiences

Use anchor texts such as Portiss Not a Box to facilitate student learning. Encourage students to build their own structures out of recyclable or natural materials, and to create a plan before construction begins. Ask them to draw and label what they want to build and to describe it orally or in written form. Take photographs of what the children created, placing them in a binder entitled Can we Build it? A Class Book of structures. This class book can be read by other students and be used as inspiration to create their own structure. Student-made labels should also be used to organize the blocks and building center.

#3. Science/Technology
1.3 Explore patterns in the natural and built environment (e.g., patterns in the design of buildings, in flowers, on animals coats) 2.1 State problems and pose questions before and during investigations. (My tower keeps falling down!) 2.2 Make predictions and observations before and during investigations (I think we need to put more blocks on the bottom. Then our tower wont fall over this time.)

BIG IDEA: Children are curious and connect prior knowledge to new contexts in order to understand the world around them.
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#4. Mathematics
NS.1 I understand numbers, using manipulatives to explore and investigate counting, quantity, and number relationships M2.2 I demonstrate an understanding of measurement (length, mass, capacity, area, temperature, passage of time, through play, focused investigation, and guided practice G3.1 I describe, sort, classify, and compare twodimensional shapes and three-dimensional Figures P4. I explore, recognize, describe, and create patterns, using a variety of materials BIG IDEA: Young children have a conceptual understanding of mathematics and of mathematical thinking and reasoning.

Authentic Real Life Opportunities in Math

The Construction Zone Learning Center will invite authentic experiences in mathematics as students sort and classify learning materials of different sizes, shapes, and texture. Through opportunities to explore and create structures the students will experience geometry, patterning, and measurement in a real life setting.

#5. Health & Physical Activity

BIG IDEA: Children make healthy choices and develop physical skills. 1.4 Discuss what action to take when they feel unsafe or uncomfortable, and when and how to seek assistance in unsafe situations. 2.1 Participate actively in creative movement and other daily physical activities. 2.3 Demonstrate strategies for engaging in cooperative play in a variety of games and activities. 3.1 Demonstrate spatial awareness in activities that require the use of large muscles.
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Physical Activity can be incorporated through construction activities in lifting and moving objects. Health can be taught through safety concerns. This can be achieved through rules of building (regulate height of structures, how to make them strong etc.), social rules (no throwing etc.), and individual rules (be clear of tall structures, dont stand on blocks, etc.).

THE LOREM IPSUMS of drama (e.g., character, setting, dramatic structure) and dance (e.g., rhythm, space) V2.1 Explore a variety of tools, materials, and processes of their own choice to create visual art forms in familiar and new ways V2.2 Explore different elements of design (e.g., colour, line, shape, texture) in visual art. V3.1 Use problem-solving skills and their imagination to create visual art forms

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U C TD2.1 I O N different Z O N E Explore elements

#6. The Arts

The Arts can be incorporated through visual art (creating structures, drawing their plans etc) and in drama (play etc). This is mostly student lead through play. However, the teacher can encourage visual representations.

Recycled Ma terial Structure

BIG IDEA: Young children have an innate openness to artistic activities (visual arts, music, drama and dance).

Accommodations for Special Needs Developmental Levels

Kindergarten has large age group ranging from 3 to 5, which shows large developmental changes among the group. Social skills, fine and gross motor skills, adaptive skills and communication skills can vary. Thus, areas such as the construction zone need to be adaptive to all areas. Alternative building blocks like foam blocks, hollow blocks, plastic blocks can be used for smaller hands and less developed muscle tones. While larger, heavier blocks can meet needs of older, more developed children. Younger children enjoy textured blocks and mirrored blocks that play to their sensory and spatial development. Pictures modeling the appropriate placement of blocks when cleaning up can also be used in a How to build book created by pervious student creations. Books can also be placed to spark creations and challenge students thinking. Extra space should be provided to support children with gross motor, PT needs or modality issues so they can easily move around the center. A sitting wedge should also be accessible to support children with gross motor needs. Foam blocks should also be provided to autistic students, ensuing they have a quiet space to build.

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Assessment Strategies
Kindergarten students show their understanding by doing, showing, and telling. The Early Learning Kindergarten team uses assessment strategies based on observing, listening, and asking probing questions in order to assess and evaluate childrens achievement.

Observation
Observation will be the primary method of assessing childrens learning in the Construction Zone Learning Space. Documentation through photographs and narratives of what the children say about their work will accompany the anecdotal observation so as to ensure students learning can be preserved and shared with their classmates and parents through a class book entitles Can We Build It? Our Class Book Of Structures.

Students will also have the opportunity to make a written/drawn plan before they embark on creating a structure, this will allow for students to engage in planning and making their thinking visible before they begin building. These plans will act as a reflection journal along side the class book to provide inspiration for their classmates and so they can see their progress throughout the year!

es Referenc

Carter, M. (July/August 2007). "Making Your Environment "The Third Teacher", Exchange PDF available online at: http://www.eccenbsepenb.com/uploads/Website_Assets/Making_En vironment.pdf Full-Day Early Learning-Kindergarten Program (2010 Draft) http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten _english_june3.pdf Lets Build! Activities for Preschool Tools and Construction Theme. http://notjustcute.com/2011/03/11/lets-build-activities-for-apreschool-tools-and-construction-theme/. Web. Play to Learn in Kindergarten.http://playissmart.blogspot.ca /2012/11/trouble-inparadise.html?m=1. Web. Transforming our Learning Environment into a Space of Possibilities.http://myclassroomtransformation.blogspot.ca/2011/12/ have-plan.html. Web
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