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Lower School Classroom Chronicle

Second graders design their ideal playground as inspiration for an inclusive neighborhood model
Defining Neighborhood: Second Grade inclusive playground design
Rohini Ramkrishnan, Second Grade

Second graders explored what makes a neighborhood special by thinking about the wants and needs of our own community. Students shared ideas about what helps people feel happy, safe, and included in their neighborhood.

We then read My Dream Playground by Kate Becker, a story about a young girl who transforms an empty lot into her neighborhood’s dream playground with the help of her community. The book inspired us to think about how teamwork and creativity can turn ideas into reality.

Students used this inspiration to design their own dream playgrounds, creating detailed drawings that reflected both their imagination and the needs we discussed as a class. To bring their ideas to life, they then built models of their playgrounds during our tinkering time, experimenting with materials and solving design challenges along the way.

It was wonderful to see students thinking like designers and community builders!

In the foreground, children are engaged in a craft project with various materials and hot glue guns, while the background shows a classroom with bookshelves filled with books and windows letting in natural light.
Two children are engaged in a craft project at a table filled with art supplies, with a window and a cluttered desk in the background.
A boy in a red shirt works on a cardboard project on a colorful rug.
Children are engaged in a craft project at a table in a classroom with colorful decorations on the walls.
Children are engaged in a craft project at a green table in the foreground, while colorful artwork adorns the classroom walls in the background.
Children work on projects on a colorful rug in the foreground, while others collaborate at tables in the background of a classroom.
Two children are engaged in an activity with colorful playdough and toys in the foreground, while a bookshelf filled with books and a window with greenery are visible in the background.
Children in the foreground are using hot glue guns to create crafts on a table, while in the background, a bookshelf filled with books and a window with a view of buildings are visible.
Two young boys are engaged in a science experiment at a table with a sandbox and various materials, while a window with plants and a world map is visible in the background.
Children are engaged in a craft project at tables in a classroom, with colorful artwork displayed on the walls in the background.
A young girl with curly brown hair, wearing a colorful shirt, is focused on a craft project at a table, with shelves filled with supplies in the background.
In the foreground, two young girls are smiling while working on a craft project with glue guns and various materials, while in the background, other children are engaged in activities around a classroom filled with books and art supplies.
A young boy works on a craft project at a wooden table in a classroom, with another child in the background and colorful educational posters on the wall.