Each year, the second-graders at Chicago City Day School take a deep dive into Native American history and culture in their social studies classes. But as is the case throughout City Day's program, the second-graders' inquiry extends beyond just one subject.
For example: After recently learning in social studies about "chickees," the log cabin-style homes built by members of the Seminole tribe, the students built their own miniature versions in City Day's tech & design class.
Teachers said the collaboration deepened students' understanding of chickees and how they were constructed, while also honing their fine motor and creative problem-solving skills.
"This cross-curricular lesson gave the students a rich understanding of a specific Native American historical time," said Sonul Mahendra, City Day's grade 2 teacher. "The satisfaction of a job well done now stands tall on the students lockers."
City Day teachers make it a priority to establish connections among academic subjects throughout the elementary school's curriculum. What students study in science class, for instance, will be amplified with a related project in art class. This interdisciplinary approach allows students to look at concepts from a variety of different lenses, which increases engagement and understanding, City Day teachers say.
In the case of the chickees project, the students were visibly excited about the opportunity to make chickees come to life, Mrs. Mahendra said.
After discussing in class the challenges the Seminoles faced when designing and building these homes, students considered how they would go about building their own. They decided to use twigs, hay, and paintbrush bristles to re-create the dwellings, which they wanted to be as accurate as possible.
In tech class, they used saws, hot glue guns, and paint to create the miniature chickees. Along the way they had to solve numerous problems, such as materials not staying together or the creations being too heavy or unstable.
"It's such an active way to learn," City Day tech teacher Fonda Baldwin said. "The students understand the classroom material much better and they finish with a deep sense of personal achievement."
Mrs. Mahendra added that the project has made students eager to explore other aspects of Native American history in class.
See more photos of the students' recent classroom and design work below.
- Interested in learning more about City Day's interdisciplinary approach? Attend an admissions event.
