The students in JK 103 have shown a strong interest in building cities, particularly Paris! It all began during the first few weeks of school when a group of children were building with big wooden blocks. They made connections to the recent Olympics, mentioning they were constructing the stadium and the Eiffel Tower. Several students joined in the excitement as they collaborated to build the city!

The following day, some students created a “café” in our classroom courtyard, where they served coffee and dessert to the teachers. We noticed that these interests continued throughout the week, so we decided to connect the two concepts and build a café in Paris! The children immediately chose to name it The Downstairs Café. As they worked together, designing signs and menus, another child suggested adding a grocery store and named it The Upstairs Grocery Store. A third child proposed including The Middle Store, where the food would be prepared. They collectively planned their idea: a café downstairs, a grocery store upstairs, and a food preparation store in the middle.

During one of our morning meetings, each child had the opportunity to come up with a question about Paris. We checked out books from the library and learned interesting facts, including what school is like and what the weather is like in Paris. We also explored popular foods to include on our menus.

We’ve noticed that this interest has continued since the beginning of the school year, with the children asking each morning to take out the wooden blocks during exploration time to build Paris. Each time they build, certain features and buildings, like the Eiffel Tower, remain consistent. As the weeks have gone on, more elements have been added, such as Charles de Gaulle Airport and the Metro. Some children have even mentioned other famous landmarks, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Could this interest shift into a study of famous buildings and landmarks around the world? Perhaps it will start discussions about how cities are organized. We are excited to explore these possibilities and see where this journey will take us next!