First Grade City Blocks

What does a city need to be a healthy ecosystem? This was the big question first graders tackled during their ILIS project time!

Students started with reading the book Walking In the City With Jane: The Story of Jane Jacobs by Susan Hughes. The story shares the life of Jane Jacobs, one of the world’s greatest urban thinkers and activists. Jacobs believed that cities were amazing places to live and that they should be ecosystems designed for all people. Students talked about what the parts of an ecosystem are, the living and nonliving things. Then in small groups students explored other books including The Curious Garden about the Highline in New York and the 606 in Chicago. Some groups read the book The Secret Subway, the story of the origins of the NYC subway system. Students made connections with the idea that building a train underground was originally thought to be an impossible idea and that sometimes impossible end up being ideas that work. Students also explored books about bridges around the world, free little libraries and water systems in cities.

Next, first graders worked together to think about how they could reimagine and rebuild the city of Chicago as a healthy urban ecosystem. We started by brainstorming what is needed in a healthy city for every person living there to be healthy, happy and safe. Students shared ideas about housing, transportation, water, green spaces, food, stores, places to work, exercise and entertainment spaces. They also talked about how to use green energy like solar panels and wind energy to take better care of the earth. First graders brainstormed ways to make sure everyone has a place to live, food to eat and transportation.

Then first graders were given the challenge to design and build their neighborhood in the future of the city of Chicago. Students drew out plans for their neighborhood ecosystem. With their ideas down on paper, first graders were ready to start prototyping their neighborhood ecosystems. The ILIS team put together a maker cart full of building materials including different cardboard shapes with connectors to make buildings and structures, pipe cleaners, puff balls, different colored construction paper and tissue paper, feathers, foam shapes, and more. First graders started building! They built roads and waterways, future transportation systems, gardens on top of buildings, amazing playgrounds and houses, farmers markets and robots that deliver food to everyone. Students were creative in the materials they used and the designs they created. First Graders also worked with classmates to connect their neighborhoods together.

Finally, first graders made videos explaining their neighborhoods, what they built and why their designs were a healthy, happy and safe ecosystem for everyone. All of the neighborhoods were placed together in the library to create a giant 1st grade prototype of the future City of Chicago. Students were so creative and thoughtful as they were designing a space that is a wonderful future ecosystem for our city.