Community: The Tools We Use

Today connections were made between last weeks investigation into construction workers 

and the tools they use. The children were familiar with many of the tools we explored today 

although they were challenged to recall the names.

Knowing the names was important to them so
we played games to facilitate this learning.
In one game we laid out the tools on the table and the children took turns closing their eyes while one child took a tool away. The other had to guess what tool was missing. The second game the kids made a memory game and enjoyed themselves so much they played it twice!

We watched a puppet play called The Carpenters Tools, about a group of tools who aren't getting along because they each think they're the most important tool. After the carpenter comes and uses them all of them to build a chair they realize they all important parts to the building community.

Community: Building Houses

When asked what community helpers they're curious about 

Tyreese wanted to learn about people who fix houses and 

Oliver wanted to learn about people who build houses.

 

Using a web to organize our thinking I told a story of a person who wanted a house built.

They contacted a contractor who organizes all the people who build houses:

the excavator, cement layers, framers, roofers, electricians, 

plumbers, dry wallers, painters, carpenters, carpet layers and more!

The children were impressed "That's a lot of people!" 

Indeed, a lot of people working together, a community of workers!

A time lapse video showed the whole process from start to finish.

We went for a walk in the neighbourhood to look for construction workers building houses.

This construction site is at the beginning stages.

How did the excavator dig that big hole!

Community: Who Needs Garbage Collectors?

What places do garbage collectors collect garbage?

The children knew right away that people get their garbage collected at their homes and 

knew where the garbage cans had to go on garbage day and some even knew who's 

responsibility it was in their family.

Where else?

Through discussion the children brainstormed what other places need garbage collected.

The children wanted to know how often garbage collectors come and when they come to our school.

We studied the Collections Map and discovered that each area in Vancouver had it's own garbage day.

When do the garbage collectors come to our school? How can we find out?

Rylan thought maybe the police might know, Jayla thought maybe grownups in the school might know. During our brainstorming Rielle identified playgrounds as a place that needs garbage collected and everyone agreed they'd like to pick up garbage at our playground. After deciding what questions needed to be asked and who would ask them we headed over to the school's office.

 Jayla asked "What day do the garbage collectors come?"

Rielle asked "Can we pick up garbage at the playground?"

Rylan asked "Do you have garbage grabbers we can use?"

We learned that the garbage collectors come on Mondays and with some advanced notice we can borrow buckets and grabbers anytime we want!

With heaps of enthusiasm we headed to the playground to pick up garbage. Then to the dumpster to drop off the bag. Everyone wanted to peer inside and we noticed it was almost empty! Of course! Today is Monday and the garbage collectors must have come while we were in the forest this morning!

Community: Garbage Collectors

 Our unit is about understanding what community is and the roles people play in one.

"Maybe we could be a community!" offered Rielle

"Maybe we could make a community" added Oliver

It's clear that our clever children understand that a community consists of people doing work that helps one another, this was very evident in today's discussion and activity.

Yesterday during general play time child initiated action led the drama room to be transformed into a Fire Hall. The children eager to learn the work that firefighters do and what happens at the firehall and they've enthusiastically included this into their imaginative play. At group time today I asked the children what other community jobs are they curious about, what do they want to learn?

Firefighters - Rielle and Esme

Fixer guys - Rylan

Guys who fix houses - Tyreese

House builders - Oliver

The police - Sophie

To start us off I chose garbage collectors as it's an exciting event when they come to our school! 

What do you know already?

They pick up garbage (Rielle)

And put it in a truck (Tyreese)

Garbage goes in a can (Oliver)

They have grabber things to grab garbage (Rylan)

It goes to the garbage station (Tyreese)

There are garbage cans in our house (Sophie)

We need them or there'd be litter all around (Esme)

We watched two video's of garbage collectors, one from Vancouver and one from another city which prompted the children to ask "What colour are garbage trucks in other places?" Some debate over how often garbage gets picked up formed this question "How often does our garbage get picked up?" A third video showed mountains of garbage at the landfill, the children were intrigued, so much garbage!

Using shapes the children constructed a picture of a garbage truck. As we prepared I was struck by how all the children wanted a job to do in handing out the materials. While at this point it they haven't articulated their understanding I can see they have a sense that our group time "community" consists of people who work together, helping each other, to reach a common goal. Tyreese announced a reminder to get the glue on the shapes or they won't stick. Rylan helped Sophie when she struggled with the positioning of the shapes.

New Unit! Community

How We Organize Ourselves

Central Idea: 

The work people perform helps build community

Lines of Inquiry:

The jobs people do in owe community support it's development

We take on roles each day and this helps build a strong community (home/school)

The children are aware of many services in the community. 

To generate more ideas we played "What If"

What if you were hungry?

What if you were sick?

The discussion turned when Sophie said her dad goes on an airplane for a work trip. 

"What do your parents do at work?" 

The children know where they go during the day - school - and they know what they do there. They were less knowledgeable about what their parents do at work.

Tyreese - My mom goes to school and my dad goes to the office.

Byron - My dad's a surgeon and my mom doesn't work.

Jayla - My dad cleans up my toys and my mom cleans up my brothers toys.

Rylan and Rielle - Our dad works and our mom cleans up and just drives kids to school.

Sophie - My mom goes to her school and my dad goes to his school.

Research Survey

The children are collecting information. 

Please fill in the chart on the door telling us what kind of work you do

Place and Time: Final Project! The Handy Helper!

Selecting the parts

The past 7 weeks have focused on similarities and differences between life in the past and life today. As well, we've explored how inventions and innovations have changed the way we do things.

Dr. Suess's The Cat in the Hat is the provocation for the summative activity. 

All the children can relate to this story: feeling overwhelmed by a big mess they have to clean up! 

What school or home couldn't use a "Moss-Covered Three-Handled Family Credenza" Everyone agreed on Rylan's suggestion on a name for our machine; The Handy Helper!

Looking for screws with a X end

Everyone wanted to try the screwdriver

Last week the children decided what their machine would look like and on Monday they selected their parts and began building. The excitement and enthusiasm was high and everyone eager to help. The final touch before trying our machine was hot glueing the on/off switch. Esme stood in quiet reflection before announcing "Wait a minute, this isn't going to actually work!" We compared how real machine's have wires and motors that make them work and our's doesn't and we'd have to use our imagination to make it work. Our Handy Helper is merely a prototype!

Securing the arms with tape

I don't think this is going to actually work.

Testing the prototype

Tomorrow the children will resent their machine to the other children and give a demonstration!

Place and Time: The Clothes We Wear

In a discussion with Debbie last week the children expressed an 

interest in the type of clothing people wore in the past. 

"I think they wore clothes that are old." thought Rielle.

The children studied the Western Fashion Timeline and were eager to share 

which style of clothing they'd like to wear.

All the girls chose their favourite dress.

Byron and Tyreese are happy to stick with clothes we wear today.

Rylan the 1090's or 1810's.

Everyone thought it very strange that long ago girls didn't wear pants and boys wore tights!

The children made paper dolls with clothing children wore long ago.

        It's a time consuming process as everyone needed help
with the fine detail cutting.

I helped them prepare the dolls and cut one outfit.

They may ask their parents for help with the others at home.