Community Construction Kit
Tom Snyder Productions
1-800-342-0236
http://www.teachtsp.com
Grade Levels: 2-6
Subject Area(s): Math
Reviewed by: Terry L. Turcotte
Software Description
Community Construction Kit is an integrated educational tool that allows students to construct three dimensional homes and buildings from medieval times, Native American times, Colonial times, and today. Children can improve their geography, math, and history skills. They can use their creativity to build real and imaginary communities and then compare and contrast them. The program offers children an opportunity to learn how people design buildings to suit the climate and withstand the forces of nature.
The user begins with a main choice screen that includes colorful pictures of a town with the labels: "Print Goodies," "Photo Gallery," "Saved Buildings," "Ready-Made Buildings," "Creatures and Things," and "Make a Building".
The "Print Goodies" icon enables the user to print out floor size and 8X11 pictures of special buildings, building parts, maps, and certificates. The user can also construct T-shirt transfers using this section of the software.
The "Photo Gallery" includes a collection of
photographs and narrated descriptions of famous buildings.
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The "Creatures and Things" icon allows students to print cut outs of people, animals, and plants from a particular era, which adds to the authenticity of the community that students build.
The icon "Making A Building" lets students design their own building from the era of their choice. First, the students choose a building shape. Once the building is selected, students must click the "Add a Roof" button. Then, they need to select a roof and can click on the building to hear the roof type spoken. Lastly, the students select windows, doors, and siding for their building.
Accuracy of Content
The program is accurate and appropriate for its intended audience. Although the manual is easy to read, the younger students may require modeled instruction. They may be confused when making their own building because of the vast amount of icon options. The ready made-buildings are good initiation lessons for beginners in the lower grades. Upper-grade students could create their own building.
This program addresses the Connecticut Mastery Test objectives, which include sorting and classifying, measurement and scale, area, volume, and geometry.
I do not believe there were any omissions. The fact that a variety of buildings were addressed, as well as people from that era speaking to tell students about themselves, was certainly valuable. Also, I did not notice any gender or ethnic stereotypes. The people shown in the program were of all races.
Technical Quality
This program is easy to operate and install. Navigation through the program requires students to point and click the mouse. The photographs of famous and notable places are excellent examples for students. Students definitely receive an accurate pictorial example of the building they are viewing. The only difficulty I encountered, as a new user, was learning what each icon represented. The sound and animation are conducive to learning because they identify what shape of building the student selects
Use of Technology
The Community Construction Kit makes excellent use of technology as an interactive tool in the classroom. Its goal includes real life spatial relationship activities that are not easily simulated in the classroom. Students would have to research several volumes of books to find information on all of the building names, shape names, and information of notable places from different eras. The program encourages students of all ability levels to create their own community.
Role of Students
The Community Construction Kit provides students with factual, reliable, and interesting information that can be used in a variety of ways. The students are empowered to construct a three-dimensional community. Students could work individually or in groups to construct their community. Groups of students could build different communities and then compare and contrast them.
Role of Teacher
I feel the teacher should conduct a whole-class lesson to introduce and demonstrate various options. There are also several web sites with related activities for teachers. Students in the upper grades can teach themselves how to use the software with minimal teacher instruction. The manual contains lesson ideas and activities that can be helpful for teachers who are planning to implement the program in their classroom.
Classroom Usage
The teacher should consider varied disciplines while using the Community Construction Kit. This program can fit into the classroom as a whole lesson, center work, or enrichment activities. As a teacher, I would do a whole group overview lesson with my students to stimulate interest and introduce the program, and then let each student work individually or in groups. Students who are familiar with the Internet would be able to find web sites of related activities.
Critical Summary
This program is well suited for the intended grades. It reinforces essential math, history and geography concepts while allowing students to use their sensory motor skills. The content of The Community Construction Kit is interesting and motivating for students.
Overall Rating (based on a scale 1 to 10)
10
Explanation of Rating
This program was straightforward. It definitely has a clear objective, to teach students about communities in an interactive manner. I learned a great deal of information when I created my own community from the Colonial Period, and could not wait to share it with my students. The Community Construction Kit offers students an imaginative way to learn across all discipline areas.
Back to Software Table of Contents | Lesson Plan for Community Construction Kit
Last revised: August 21, 2002