Adding Trees at School 2

At School 2 Mrs. Casais’ second grade students were learning to solve addition problems in math.   At the same time, in science, they were studying the structure and function of trees, and how important trees are to our lives.  Students engaged in a project that incorporated both these math and science topics.  
 

Working in pairs, the students were asked to design and create tree houses out of popsicle sticks, markers, crayons, yarn, and recycled cardboard.  A requirement was that each tree had to incorporate a certain addition number fact. 

Art PIR Sandler, who developed the lesson, showed the students photos of houses being built so they could observe the importance of shapes in house construction.  The students had to take into consideration such topics as:  what shapes would they use to create their houses; could their trees support their houses; how would they get into their tree houses.  (Note the ladder in the picture below.)

Students encountered several difficult problems in the construction of their houses, but solved them by communicating with their partners and with the support of Mrs. Casais and Mrs. Sandler.

The students recorded their procedures and descriptions of their tree houses in their journals.