Community/Construction/3 Pigs Unit

We started our Community/Construction/3 Pigs unit last Monday.  The idea of this unit came from my awesome next door pre-k teachers!  I am using "The Three Little Pigs" story to transition into community/construction.  In our class, I read the story to begin with and the students discussed the role of the characters in the story. We talked about the three pigs being "builders" and then introducing our new vocabulary with "construction workers" ...and then THAT led into building materials and tools (and more vocab!) which allowed me to introduce all the new theme related items in the centers!  This unit is broad enough to last for 3-4 weeks and can expand into students learning about community helpers and transportation!  WHEW!  ..Loving this unit and excited for all our learning experiences ahead!  The photo above is of a shelf in our blocks center.  Currently in blocks center we have:  3 pigs felt house, pig puppets, construction vehicles, community workers, cars, construction vehicles, variety of blocks, tp rolls for tunnels, a 3 pigs picture book, and informational construction books.

This is our construction sensory tub.  I used a large scrap piece of felt to cut down on the sound of the rocks.. If I had had green felt it would have even been better..to represent grass...or tan for dirt.   The tub could also be filled with sand..(or colored sand!)  

The tub contains: rocks, foam blocks for stacking and sorting (3 pigs' bricks), number magnets, mini tools, shovels, tp rolls for tunnels, popsicle sticks and driftwood (3 pigs' sticks),  plastic construction worker figures, felt roads and lakes, boats, cars, and construction vehicles.  Color sorting bowls, size sorting bowls, and measuring cups can also be added!

The pretend center has been turned into a hardware or
Lowe's/Home Depot type of store.

The "store" contains:
 pvc pipes and connectors
foam blocks for screwing and nailing in golf tees
pots for stacking
watering cans
paint pails
paint brushes and rollers
tiles
carpet squares
paint chips (color sorting!)
house building magazines and brochures
construction or gardening gloves
real tools (small wrenches, levels, screwdrivers)
pretend power tools
sandpaper
toolboxes
cash register
shopping baskets
canvas apron
khaki button down shirt

The store also will have vocabulary cards posted for building materials and pencils/ note cards for writing.

I mentioned to a worker at Lowe's that I was a teacher trying to setup a hardware store pretend center and he loaded me up with all kinds of free goodies!  The the man who was working in the carpet department overheard us talking and then HE offered me free carpet samples!

The paint roller pan was actually a dollar store pan we used for our pretend bakery. The paint brushes I borrowed from my mom's garage...and the black baskets are from my husband's desk drawer (he doesn't know that yet..shhhh!) Let's hope he doesn't look in there for another three weeks because his drawer is a mess! 

These items can stay in here for our next unit, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." The pretend center will become a farmers market complete with vegetables and flowers!

I purchased a very exciting lesson pack off of teacherspayteachers.com: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/On-the-Road-and-in-the-Air

The pack has word cards, board games, math mats, bingo game, an early reader, and so much more!

Pictured above is one of the board games in our ABC center. I added transportation erasers as game pieces and wrote letters on a counting cube.  EASY! 

My pre-k teacher neighbors next door had given me some Handwriting Without Tears letter blocks.  The teachers renamed them "Letter Builders" for the construction theme in their classroom. Our letter builders are in our ABC center.

Community helpers vocabulary posted in reading and writing centers.  I downloaded it for free from:
http://mrsalbanesesclass.blogspot.com/2012/03/more-writing-centre-postersfreebies.html

A parent donated all kinds of fun stuff that she ordered from oriental trading.  These community helper foam pieces actually will stick to our reading center felt board and can also be turned into an art project..memory game..or sorting activity!

Check out my "TO LEARN: COMMUNITY" board on pinterest for tons of great ideas and freebies I have found:
http://pinterest.com/thepinkido/to-learn-community/