The curriculum book Homes for Everyone
square blocks
Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1VK5lobJyg
pencils, paper, clipboards

I need to collect the books I will read- If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen
plastic cups, tongue depressors

I will support diverse students by reading books and showing videos of books about building houses.
I will also support diverse learners by grouping students in sets of 3 to work on the this project.
I will support learners by having students draw, build and talk about the project. 

Students will be working together to make a blue print, build the structure and then talk about what worked and did not work allowing students to work with in their strength. 

I am using books and exploratory materials to allow student to understand the engineering process and to learn to work together.

The book: Homes for Everyone
The vocabulary list

More support materials such as books. 

Library or internet

Library or internet

I will be reading several books about houses and building house and then explain that this week in the block area that they have to plan then build the tallest apartment they can with the supplies in the bucket.

Allow student to think through why the structure fell. 
Encourage student to try changing their blue print and figure out another way to build the structure. 

Question to ask:
Why do you think it fell?
What could you use for support next time?
Do you think you could make it taller? Do you think it was too tall?

Students will be working together to make the blue print and build the structure. 

The 2 books and video of the book
blocks, cups and tongue depressors
paper, pencil and clipboards

As I was putting this together I was thinking we need to measure the height of the structures to see which is the tallest so maybe use sentence strips to measure the height. 

To make a bucket of 30 blocks, 10 cups and 30 tongue depressors and see how that works and alter the amount of items from there.

1. Demonstrates some planning and learning from experiences
IV. LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DOMAIN
A. LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING
1. Demonstrates understanding when listening
Benchmark a: Engages in multiple back-and-forth communicative interactions with adults (e.g., teacher-shared information, read-aloud books) and peers

to set goals, follow rules, solve problems and share what is learned with others)
3. Follows Directions
Benchmark a: Achieves mastery of two-step directions and usually follows three-step directions
G. EMERGENT WRITING

1. Begins to show motivation to engage in written expression and appropriate knowledge of forms and functions of written composition Benchmark a: Intentionally uses scribbles/writing to convey meaning (e.g., signing artwork, captioning, labeling, creating lists, making notes)

1. Describes relationships between objects and locations with words and gestures by constructing models to demonstrate an understanding of proximity (beside, next to, between, below, over and under)
VI. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY DOMAIN
A. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY THROUGH EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
3. Uses understanding of causal relationships to act on social and physical environments
Benchmark a: Makes predictions and tests their predictions through experimentation and investigation

Benchmark b: Collects and records data through drawing, writing, dictation and taking photographs (e.g., using tables, charts, drawings, tallies and graphs) Benchmark c: Begins to form conclusions and construct explanations (e.g., What do the results mean?)

Benchmark d: Shares findings and outcomes of experiments
F. ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Shows interest and understanding of how simple tools and machines assist with solving problems or creating objects and structures
Benchmark a: Identifies problems and tries to solve them by designing or using tools (e.g., makes a simple tent with a chair and cloth for protection from

the sun)
Benchmark d: Invents and constructs simple objects or more complex structures and investigates concepts of motion and stability of structures (e.g., ramps, pathways, structure, Legos, block building and play)

I want my students to work together to build a structure (an apartment).  Many of my students live in apartments and I want them to be able to use the materials to build the tallest apartment they can without falling over. What I want them to understand is that when the structure falls over that they have to start the design process over again and see where they need to fix the problem from before. 

The students in groups of no more then 3 will be able to build the tallest apartment structure with the materials provided that does not fall over. 

To be able to work together in a group.
To be able to share ideas.
To understand what constitutes a structure. 

I will ask questions about how they can make it higher without falling over. 
I will have the students make a blue print before and see how they had to change their blue print as they moved through the project.