Building a Structure

Developed by Elizabeth McLellan, PCM Play Practicum 2023, Verizon Tech Enhanced 2023
(FOCUS: Grade 2, Reading, Math, Science, STEAM)

In this lesson, students will learn the steps behind building a building.

Materials to gather

• Various Books about Building to Build Background Knowledge

• • Suggested Texts:
    • Iggy Peck Architect by Andrea Beaty-Vooks
    • Lets Meet a Construction Worker-Vooks
    • Look at that Building: A First Book of Structures by Scot Ritchie
    • How to Build a House by Gail Gibbons
    • Building a House by Byron Barton
    • The Science of Buildings: The Sky-Scraping Story of Structures by Alex Wolf.
    • There Was An Old Lady who swallowed a spoon by Lucille Colandro
    • The Three Little Pigs (any story that shows the different building materials)
    • Hansel and Gretel (any that show a gingerbread house)
• Materials for Building a Gingerbread House
  • Small paper plate (1 per child)
  • Clean out milk carton from lunch (1 per child)
  • White frosting ( 2 sets for each child)
  • Graham crackers- 3 full crackers (6 halves) per child
  • Assorted Candy for decorating the houses
    • Examples: M&Ms, marshmallows, Twizzlers, gumdrops, Twizzler bites, mike & ikes, etc.  Any colorful candy will do.
• Gingerbread House Planning Sheet & Budget Sheet

Set Up

• Students will have had time to explore or experience the suggested texts to understand how a building is built, starting with explaining the life cycle of a building from The Science of Buildings: The Sky-Scraping of Story Structures written by Alex Woolf Pages 10-11.
• Explain that our gingerbread man needs a house that will keep him safe. Allow students to look through texts to research how to build a house.
• Allow students time to read the fiction texts about houses that keep the characters safe. 
• Students will be given the planning pages to design their gingerbread house and decide on materials they need and ensure they are in budget.
• Students will “purchase” materials from adult and construct their gingerbread house.

Student’s Job

Can you build a safe gingerbread house for your gingerbread man with a budget of $100?

1. Plan out your budget and design your gingerbread house.
2. Bring your budget sheet to an adult to “purchase” your materials. 
3. Assemble your gingerbread house using materials purchased with your budget.
4. Put your gingerbread houses in front of the fan.
   1. If it doesn’t stand, what can you do to fix it?
   2. If it does stand, Nice work! 

Further Challenges:

• Can you make a 2-story house? 3-stories? 
• Can you add anything around the gingerbread house that will increase the safety?

Teacher’s Job

Standards Alignment

RICCSS – Rhode Island Common Core State Standards

English Language Arts
2.RL.2.1:  Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

2.RL2.2: Retell stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

2.RI.2.1:  Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

2.RI2.2: Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

Math
2.NBT.2B.5: Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract. Add and subtract fluently within 100 using strategies based on place value and properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.

2.NBT.2B.6:Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract. Add up to 4 two-digit numbers using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.

Science
K-2ETS1-2 Engineering Design:  Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. Developing and using models, Developing possible solutions, Structure and Function.

Prepare/ Background Info

• Students have already been introduced to the concept of a new building being demolished and rebuilt as it is currently happening in their neighborhood.  Students have met with the construction project managers and architects and have read informational texts about the life cycle of a building, how building are constructed, and the occupations that are involved in all steps of the process of building and maintaining a building.
• Introduce topic: ask students what they know about construction and questions they have about the construction happening in their neighborhood.
• Collaborate with the project manager to coordinate presentations and questions from students for them to answer.

Effective Facilitation Strategies

• Teachers will facilitate by reading texts and providing access to resources/material.
• Teacher will provide support when needed for completing the mathematical task for purchasing materials. 
• Teacher will provide feedback/seeding if asked for construction support.

Play to Notice (Learning Framework)

Students will construct a gingerbread house to keep their gingerbread man safe using provided materials that they purchased within their budget. This allows students to test their implementation of concepts they have learned about.

Content Matter to Notice

Students will ensure their gingerbread house includes the components necessary for a sturdy, stable shelter.

SEL to Notice

Students will be able to manage their ability to problem solve and cope with unexpected challenges during the construction.