All four 2nd grade at Holmes school teamed up with Gretchen Junker from OPEF’s Geared Up program and the two Holmes art teachers, Jon Kristofer and Casey Klemp-Florczak, plus many parent volunteers, to conduct an awesome trimester research project.
Students took walking field trips in the rectangle of Chicago Avenue, Lake Street, Harlem Avenue, and Oak Park Avenue. They worked in teams and mapped out the businesses and houses along their route. Each child wrote and presented a description of their building, and their presentations were videotaped and made into a slide show. They also conducted web research on their community.
Finally, students engaged their math skills by learning how to read a footprint and how to build to scale, and constructed their buildings using LEGOs. The neighborhood they built was realistic and impressive! They showed their creations to family and friends on display in the art room on Specials Night in early December.
Make sure you check out our slideshow of photos — including shots of the LEGO structures and their real-world inspirations — by Gretchen Junker.