The upcoming weeks in Room 108 will be full of student projects that demand student thought, preparation, and application, among other skills. Two major projects, in addition to the poetry theme mentioned in the previous post, include the planning and construction of a skyscraper and a travel log students will fill out as they use self-made passports to take virtual trips around the world!
Skyscrapers are a fascination to many around the globe. Living close to Chicago makes these gigantic constructions more than just a ponderance of one's imagination, rather a reality of everyday life. Given the close proximately of architectural feats such as the Willis [Sears], John Hancock, and Trump towers, a project has been started in collaboration with our 4th Grade Buddies, to learn about, design, and construct individual skyscrapers to create a Room 108 Skyline! PBS has a great website about skyscrapers and has served as a support for the planning of this project. I posted a video below with a collection of the world's tallest skyscrapers. Some of the buildings have yet to be constructed completely. Students were asked to use these designs as inspiration and research for the architectural rendering of their own models.
Check back for future posts about student passports, virtual travel around the globe and The Great Ball Game. As part of our social studies learnings about cultures and citizenship, students will spend time exploring different geographical corners of the globe. There's so much out to explore! If you have any suggestions for destinations or kid friendly travel sites, please share in a comment below.
