The Rivers Class is thinking about cities. All year the children have used blocks, Magna-Tiles, and Wedgits to create structures. The children are keen to add people to their structures.
Last week we took our first trip and walked along 5th Street to Park Avenue. The children looked closely at the buildings on the block, noticing ways they were similar and ways they were different. The shapes of the windows. The number of levels. The size.
We looked for clues to try and guess what happens inside each building. Ms Gluckow recorded the children's responses. A line of strollers made the children wonder if that building was a "school for babies." The children guessed that the impressive front door might lead to a "dentist office," "apartments," or "supermarket." The library was instantly recognizable to children who had been inside.
On returning to the classroom, children recorded their findings verbally, in drawings, and in the block area.
On Friday we revisited the buildings that had puzzled us to take a closer look. The children peered through the door. Ms Buckley asked a person leaving the building and he confirmed it is a school for babies.
Ms Gluckow pointed out the intercom outside the impressive door. A few of the children in our class have intercoms at their front door. Maybe this is an apartment building.
We plan on several more short walking trips to observe the buildings surrounding our school and to learn more about the city of Hoboken.
