Social Science - Building a House

You will need:

Pictures of buildings.
Catalogues or newspaper circulars from building or hardware stores.
Markers or paint.
Large sheets of butcher paper.
Blocks of all sizes.
Real tools (hammer, wrench, etc.), a fastener such as screws, bolts, safety goggles, wood-working supplies, or blueprints (all optional).

What to do:

Talk about the houses that the pigs built. Compare the pigs' houses to the children's homes.
Show the children pictures of different kinds of buildings, and the tools and machines used to build them. Use vocabulary such as skyscrapers, huts, crane, screwdriver, etc. Bring in real tools and a set of blueprints to show the children, if possible.
Have the children create a construction company with tables, blocks, and signage. Provide opportunities for children to draw blueprints for block creations on butcher paper, and build them in the area.

Open-ended Questions:

What kinds of houses did the pigs build? How are they like your homes? How are they different?
What kinds of materials and machines do you need to build a house?

Variations/Extensions:

Have the children draw pictures of their houses.
Have a field trip to a construction site to observe what is going on. Make arrangements for the children to talk to one of the workers about what they are doing.

Related Resources:

Suggested Benchmarks: