Building Community: First Graders Create Their Own Neighborhoods
Grade 1 students recently brought their neighborhood study to life by designing and constructing a collaborative model. Led by their teachers and Lower School Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Leddy, students explored the key elements of a community, planned their own layouts, and worked together to build a vibrant, large-scale neighborhood.
The project began with brainstorming essential places—hospitals, pet shelters, ice cream shops, playgrounds, parks, and more. First graders sketched their ideas, choosing to either design their own structures or collaborate with peers to create shared spaces.
Each class selected two students to act as city planners, playing a crucial role in organizing the neighborhood’s layout and ensuring a well-structured design. They carefully mapped out streets using black paper strips, making key decisions about road placement and connectivity, while classmates constructed buildings, stop signs, and other essential features.
Parent volunteers joined during Tinker Time, helping the first graders translate their sketches into three-dimensional structures using materials from the Tinker Time Store. The final neighborhood included four focus areas: homes, businesses, nature and recreation, and safety and accessibility.
Once completed, students moved their models back to the classroom, where they continued refining their designs during choice time. The project culminated in student-led conferences, where students shared their individual maps, explained their contributions, and answered parent questions.
Through this experience, students deepened their understanding of urban planning and community roles while building collaboration, spatial awareness, and creative thinking skills. We're excited to see how this unit continues to develop the rest of the school year.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
