Buildings

March 23rd-27th

Conversations

"All Kinds of Homes!" Talk about how people live around the world!
"What kinds of tools do construction workers use?"
"What is special about our building?"
What are buildings made of? What makes them strong?
What happens inside of buildings? Use google maps or earth to show children a building, and discuss what you think happens inside!

Art and Literacy Exploration

Make a collage with photos of buildings or building interiors. Talk about your child's favorite buildings and how the buildings look different (compare size, shape). Discuss what might be happening inside!
Build big or small buildings with empty boxes. Label the buildings that you make.
Draw your building and the homes that your family members live in! Create a book about buildings that are special to you.
Make a map of your apartment!

Mathematics

Count your windows, then count your doors! Add them together!
Practice writing your apartment number, your address, and the addresses and apartment numbers of your friends.
Build with legos, blocks, or magnatiles and then use standard or nonstandard measuring tools (ruler/measuring tape or yarn) to measure your structures! Compare multiple buildings, and discuss which is taller, which is shorter, and if any are equal in height.

Songs and Poems

"A Building My Size"

This building is wide.

This building is tall.

This building is thin.

This building is small.

Beautiful buildings, I see with my eyes.

But the one I like best, is exactly my size!

"This is the Way"

This is the way we lay the bricks, lay the bricks, lay the bricks. This is the way we lay the bricks, when we build our building!

This is the way we hammer the nail, hammer the nail, hammer the nail. This is the way we hammer the nail, when we build our building!

This is the way we paint the wall, paint the wall paint the wall. This is the way we paint the wall, when we build our building!

Continue by generating your own verses!

Final Investigation: What happens inside buildings?

This is the final week of our Building Unit! But remember, the conversations don't have to stop here! When you go on walks with your child, discuss the features of the buildings and what happens inside of them. Talk about the teamwork, jobs, tools, and machines that were probably used to build them! Ask your child to draw a building that already exists or create a new building and label it!

Day 1

Question of the Day: Display a picture of an interesting building and ask, "What do you think people do in this building?"

Discussion: Show several pictures of various building exteriors around the world and from the neighborhood. (You can use Google Image Search or Google Maps.) Discuss what your child thinks happens inside the buildings. Take some time to research and learn about what actually happens inside select buildings. Draw or construct a building with your child, thinking specifically about what is going on inside and its purpose.

Day 2

Question of the Day: Display a picture of an interesting building and ask, "What do you think people do in this building?"

Day 3

Question of the Day: Display a picture of a building sign and ask, "Do you see any letters that you recognize on this building sign?"

Discussion: Show your child images of buildings in the neighborhood, or, if possible, take a walk around your neighborhood and take photos of various buildings. Choose one building and ask, "What can you tell me about this building?" Discuss what happens inside the building and pretend to be people inside. Role play with your child and encourage them to come up with things they need for inside the building. (For example, maybe you are the costumer and your child is the waitstaff in a local restaurant. You'll need a menu and silverware!)

Day 4

Question of the Day: Display a picture of a familiar building with a pictorial sign that shows what happens in the building, e.g., a car wash sign with a soapy car. Ask "What do you think people do in this building? Why?"

Discussion: Say: "Many buildings have signs that give us clues about what happens inside them." Show your child more pictures of building signs with graphics that provide clues and help your child figure out what the signs say using the picture clues.

Day 5

Question of the Day: Give your child the option of three books and ask, "Which book would you like to read today?"

Discussion: Props! Discuss with your child the props they would need to act out the story they chose. Help your child collect or make one or two props and re-read the story, acting out certain parts as different characters.

Further Questions to Investigate

If your child is still engaged in this study and wants to find out more, you might investigate additional questions, such as:

What can I find out about my home?
How are the insides of buildings constructed?
Why do some buildings have basements or cellars?
Where do builders get what they need to construct buildings?
What is involved in painting a building?
What happens when buildings get old and begin to fall apart?
How are old buildings different from new buildings?
What happens a construction site?
What are some of the biggest and smallest buildings in the world?

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