- blocks and other materials children use in the Block Center for building
- build
- materials
- tower
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners during daily routines and play.
English Language Arts/Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.5 Create representations of experiences or stories (e.g., drawings, constructions with blocks or other materials, clay models) and explain them to others.
MA Draft Standards:
Physical Sciences/Matter and Its Interactions: Structure and Properties of Matter/PS1.A Describe, compare, sort and classify objects based on observable physical characteristics, uses, and whether it is manufactured as part of their classroom play and investigations of the natural and human-made world.
Physical Sciences/Motion and Stability; Forces and Interaction /PS2.C Explore the strength and stability of buildings as they build structures with different materials. [Cause and Effect, Stability and Change]
Head Start Outcomes:
Science Knowledge/Scientific Skills and Method Observes and discusses common properties, differences, and comparisons among objects.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
Science and Technology/Technology and Engineering 23 Explore and describe a wide variety of natural and man-made materials through sensory experiences.
Science and Technology/Inquiry Skills 4 Record observations and share ideas through simple forms of representation such as drawings.
Explore Together (indoors): Build a Tower
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
STEM Key Concepts: How you design and build a structure helps determine how strong it will be; Different materials are useful for making different structures and different parts of structures
ELA Focus Skills: Listening and Speaking, Vocabulary
Have children build towers on their own. First, review with children that a tower is a very tall, or high, building. Then display materials for children and ask, How do you think you could use these materials to build a tower?
Work with children as they use the materials to build towers. Draw attention to how their towers are the same or different from the buildings they made previously. Listen and engage children when you notice something that has sparked their curiosity. Ask them questions to help them keep exploring.
- How can you make your tower so high that it is taller than you are?
- What would happen if you removed some <blocks> from the <top/middle/bottom> of your tower?
At the end of the exploration, have children draw a picture of their tower. Take photographs or a video of children’s towers if possible.
Reflect and Share
Talk with children about their experiences. Ask them about their observations, and offer your own as well.
- Why did your towers fall over when you tried to add more floors? What did you do to make it stronger?
- Was it easy or difficult to build a high building using those materials? Why do you think so?
Take It Further: Help children connect to the concepts of building for strength and stability by helping them experience forces like push and pull. For example, have a pair of volunteers stand back to back. Ask, What does it feel like when you lean against your friend? Do you feel a pull? A push? Help children make connections between the push and pull that they are feeling, and the forces they might encounter when they are building towers. Ask, What will happen if I push on the tower? What will happen if I pull two blocks out of the middle of the tower? Let volunteers demonstrate each force. Ask, Can you name what push or pull forces builders might need to think about in order to build a sturdy, stable, tall building? (wind, storms, etc.)
Adaptation: You might prefer to have very young children do the activity individually with you so that you can help them arrange items.
English Language Learners: Point to each of the materials the child has used to make a tower and describe how the child has used it in his/her structure.