by Alyssa Gonzales

What exactly is a neighborhood? If you had asked a first grade student this question in early September, it would have sparked a variety of personal responses. So how do we as educators take all of these wonderful ideas and honor our students’ individual input while validating their unique experiences? We ask more questions, of course!

The topic of neighborhoods lends itself perfectly to many opportunities in which students can gather data, explore their surroundings, and learn about their community. “Neighborhoods” is the overarching theme for the first grade project-based curriculum, Different Ways of Knowing.

Over the course of several weeks, students collected information to construct meaning to the question: What do we already know about neighborhoods? Children “zoomed” in on the sights and sounds of the neighborhoods around them through pantomime, paintings, and play.

Students took a walk through their neighborhood using their imagination. They pretended to hold a small video camera and recorded what they saw, smelled, heard, and felt. Using their senses as tools, the children were asked to share their images by pressing pause on their “recorders.” With the images fresh in their minds, students were asked questions like: What sounds do you hear? Are there birds or animals nearby? If so, what are they doing?

To compare and contrast differences and similarities among neighborhoods, students examined four art prints: Marc Chagall’s The Street, Philip Evergood’s Sunny Side of the Street, Winslow Homer’s Snap the Whip, and Anne Belle Lee Washington’s Sunday. Teachers then asked the essential questions: What shapes do you see in the painting? What time of day do you think it is? In what ways does this painting remind you of our school neighborhood? All of this inquiry gently guided the children closer to their goal of defining neighborhood.

As another part of the “neighborhood” study, all four first grade classes took a walking field trip in the school neighborhood in late October. It was a perfect opportunity to explore our community and learn more about what a neighborhood is.

First grade teacher Leeza Hamberger was asked to articulate what students gained through this inquiry-based approach. She explained, “Essentially, students gained a deeper concept of neighborhoods and relationships within their neighborhood community. Asking wonderful questions helps along a path of research. Organizing information helps students use this information to show what they’ve come to know…” All of these learning events help to develop critical thinking skills that are important not only in higher education, but also in life.

By narrowing their focus, students came up with a class definition of a neighborhood to create a common language for further inquiry. As a culminating activity, each of the four first grade classes showed what they came to know through artistic expression. Students collaborated and worked together (another essential skill for project-based learners) to create a large three-by-six-foot paper classroom neighborhood collage.

While students worked together to cut and paste the construction paper cutouts, each class had its own buzz in the air, its own uniqueness and energy—much like four mini-neighborhoods. When first grade student Ilsa was asked why she enjoyed learning about neighborhoods, her response was, “I like to learn about nature, living, and about people.”