Box City

In our Social Studies class, we did a very hands-on activity called box city. The materials were easy to find and minimal. We each brought some kind of box such as: cereal, shoe, Poptart, and other boxes. Mrs. Meier made the road for our city with a tarp and tape. We divided into two groups. The first group decided the name of our city and the names of the streets.  We called our box city "Divercity" and named the streets after the continents. There were eight streets, so we named the last one "World Avenue." We were also the zoning committee. The other group made a list of what businesses we would need in our city. Then, each person picked a business to create. I chose to make the DMV. We used construction paper to decorate our boxes. The whole class was very creative and enjoyed making their box buildings. After all the businesses were complete, the zoning committee decided where each of the box businesses should go in our city. For example, we placed the restaurant near the place of worship, so our citizens could go out to eat straight from worship in a nearby location. We had a shopping center, where the businesses like Wal-Mart, The Pet Store, and The Book Store were all located. I think that this activity has countless uses in the classroom. It is appropriate for all elementary grades and even higher grades. There are so many concepts that box city can be used to teach. For example, you could use it to teach spatial and cardinal directions, why cities are arranged a specific way, how cities evolve and grow, etc. The possibilities are endless. I can't wait to build a box city in my own classroom with my own students.

My Critical Voice

I feel that having a Critical Voice is necessary for a teacher. A teacher must be able to stand up for their students in an effective, intelligent way. I feel that I have always been one to speak my mind, however, I have not always done it with a critical voice. The time I have spent in the classroom, especially this semester, has helped me to develop my critical voice. I have learned that when I need to speak on my future students' behalf, that I will be able to do it calmly, intelligently, and effectively. This evolution of my critical voice, should greatly benefit my students and me.