During the first six weeks of school, the second and third grades practiced using new materials in the Shared Space as part of a collaborative project. This was students' first real chance to practice important collaborative skills for this year, such as discussion, experimentation, and giving feedback.
Students began the project by experimenting with recycled objects and new ways to reuse familiar materials like tape and glue. After some basic structures were decided on, some large boxes were attached to a base as a provocation. This led to more discussion and experimentation as the cardboard base was slowly transformed into a cityscape.
New tools were introduced such as construction paper and scissors, and students worked on city planning by deciding which parts of the city were used for what purpose. They went deeper in their thinking by looking for more services and a utilities to add to the structure and proofreading sections that were unstable or looked incomplete.
After work had progressed for several weeks, we concluded with a reflective meeting where students could share their opinions on the project and contribute ideas for improving it next time. Students articulated how enjoyable it was to see the city grow and to work together as a team, and suggested that next time we limit how much we change each other's work and provide new recycled materials to build with.
This project could have easily continued for many more days, so feel free to ask the second and third grade students which parts they helped construct and what else they would build if given the time!