Teaching with Tracey

Want your students to build amazing structures? Try adding a weekly Building Time to your schedule.

The concept of Building Time is to have all students using building toys and making creations at the same time.

I have always had students who build during playtime and sometimes they would rally a large group of their peers to make things together. They would build tall towers or a walking path around the whole classroom.

While this was great, I wanted to have a way to encourage all students to try out building.

What is Building Time?

Over the years, I would have Building Time when something in my schedule moved, like when the gym was closed for an event or a guest that I had planned couldn’t make it at the last moment.

Last year, though, I had a block in my timetable that was both too short and too long for many of the things that I do in the classroom. It became the perfect time for Building Time.

The format is simple: all of my building materials are open and the students build.

That’s it.

They all build.

Building Stamina

Some students like to build by themselves and others in groups but everyone builds for the whole time. Some students had to work on stamina for the first few weeks, they would build one thing and then tell me that they were done.

I let them know that Building Time wasn’t over and asked what they could do now. They always came up with an idea and soon they were building the whole time.

For the first few months, the students were content to build and build and rebuild. Eventually, they wanted to play with their creations and asked for other items.

I then opened things like cars and animals that could be added to their creations.  

Building Time and the BC Curriculum

I teach in British Columbia, Canada and we have a few things in our curriculum that Building Time supports – ADST (Applied Design, Skills and Technologies) as well as the Core Competencies.

These are a few things that students can gain from Building Time.

• I can generate ideas from my experiences and interests.
• I can add on to others’ ideas.
• I can choose tools and materials.
• I can tell others about my creation.
• I can make my ideas work or change what I am doing

What I like about Building Time is that these skills develop while students are doing something that they enjoy and are interested in.

This Post Contains Affiliate Links – Click on Image to go shopping.

These are a few of my favorite Building Time materials

Magnet blocks

Magnet blocks are out on the first day of school and get played with almost every day. They are perfect for beginning builders without a lot of construction experience and for short play times.

Wooden blocks

I have several different types of wooden blocks, plain and colorful.

The colorful ones are small and the students usually build with them on tables. The plain ones are larger and they are most likely played with on the floor.

Wooden blocks are extremely versatile. They are used during every Building Time and most other playtimes.

KEVA Planks

I love KEVA Planks but every year I seem to have to convince my students that they are great to build with.

Often, they become popular after my littles have seen their big buddies use them. Once they witness the possibilities, they also fall in love with them.

KEVA planks are perfect for building towers, fences, pathways and all kinds of structures. They also get students thinking about balance and stability.  

LEGO

LEGO is a classroom favorite. I like that the students can easily build alone or put their creations together and create something big. I have some Lego in my classroom and my school has a large LEGO cart for classes to borrow for a week a couple of times a year.

How to support your builders

Building Time is student-led but here are a few things you can do to support your class.

Take a Building Tour

Stop building in the middle of your time to have a tour of the class.

Have the students walk around and look at what other students are working on.

This gives students the opportunity to think and get ideas from their classmates.

Take Pictures

Pictures are a great way to document student learning and give students the opportunity to talk about what they are doing.

The pictures can be used to discuss the buildings, brainstorm about building problems, and collaborate with each other.

Talk About Structures

Talk about structures in general and the ones that your students are making. These questions can be asked whole class or while students are working.

Ask questions such as:

• What makes your structure strong?
• How did you make it stand up?
• What happens if you change this part?
• What is the same about your building and our school?
• What is different?
• What could you add?
• What could you change?

Why I Love Building Time

It’s simple.

I don’t have to prepare anything.

I don’t need to give instructions.

I don’t have to guide students in what to do.

I get to watch students problem-solve, collaborate, experiment and learn from each other.

I get to watch all of my students become better builders.

Are you going to try having Building Time?

I would love to see pictures of what your students create.

Take care,

Tracey