Build It Festival

Each year Vestavia East has an enrichment festival.  Each year the subject is different.  This year we had a BUILD IT FESTIVAL.

Our class was invited to the festival yesterday.  We first watched a short video in our classroom about different styles of building, and working together to build something unique and great.  We then went to the festival.  It was held in the music room.  There were many volunteer parents there to help.  The class discussed the role of the architect and the builder.  Then they did an activity.  The children worked in pairs.  The children were lying on the floor with a divider between them, . One was the architect and one was the builder.  With the same pattern blocks, the architect would build something and tell the builder what he/she was using.  This was done block by block.  The builder would listen to the architect and without being able to see attempt to build the same on his/ her side of the divider.

Notice the people standing in the background.  These are people from the Board of Ed. who work with the curriculum of Vestavia Schools.  They came to observe our class and were quite impressed!

The divider would then be lifted to see if the architect and builder built the same structure.

This activity is far more difficult than it looks.  I was so excited to see that several in our class were   actually able to do this.  This requires the architect giving good instructions and the builder listening and following the instructions. 

Next the children were divided into teams.  Each team had to construct something using news paper dowels.  This too was not as easy at it would seem to be. They had to decide on what to build and do it as a team. Teamwork is not always easy for kindergartners. 

 I was so proud of our class. No one argued or fussed about it.  Every team did a good job working together.

I had such a good time walking around and just listening to what they were saying as they planned the project and began to build.  They were all on task.   Some discussed the importance of balance and stability.There were others who were interested in making theirs the tallest.  One of the groups discussed trying to build an Eiffel Tower.

 We did have one team that seem to be all Chiefs and no Indians.  However, they worked through their different visions of what to build, completed their project and did it without incident.  I am proud of them all!!!

After all had completed their projects, awards were given.  

What a great enrichment festival!  Than you to all parent volunteers, Mrs. Macnab, our enrichment teacher, and especially to the children for being good team members and great builders!!