First Graders Explore Bridgeport

May 15, 2024

This spring, first graders put on their architect hard hats and dove deep into their study of community. Drawing from their background knowledge and experiences as members of the Bridgeport, Connecticut community, they set out to bring their city to life in the classroom through an interdisciplinary approach that blended literature, art, math, and language.

They began with the mentor text Windows by Julia Denos, which offered a view of communities from multiple perspectives. Motivated by the different viewpoints in the story, students embarked on a neighborhood walk around the school, using three important tools to guide their exploration: cardboard viewfinders, 2D/3D shape keys, and their five senses.

The days following the walk were busy (and loud! and messy! and playful!). After reading Iggy Peck, Architect! by Andrea Beaty, students used real images from the walk as a guide for their block-building exploration. They applied their math skills to work through frustration and demonstrate grit as they mapped out and recreated an entire city block.

Inspired by Hey, Wall!: A Story of Art and Community by Susan Verde and their artist study of Romare Bearden, students created classroom murals influenced by the shapes, colors, and textures of Bridgeport.

Throughout the spring, they also engaged in community acrostic poems, wrote “How to Build a Community” books, filled in Mad Libs using nouns, verbs, and adjectives, and participated in dramatic play with a “First Grade Bodega,” complete with a working cash register. This hands-on, collaborative learning experience helped them connect concepts across subjects, fostering creativity and critical thinking.

The classroom came alive with creations like a “Loose Parts Stoplight,” city signs, stained-glass skyscrapers, and opinion graphs on the best type of community to live in. All their hard work was documented in a collaborative book, detailing their journey of community learning!