Hammers to Homes

Kindergarteners put a hammer to their learning in their expedition “Hammers to Homes.”

Students built their knowledge around guiding questions, such as What is a tool? What role do tools play in constructing homes? and What makes a home a home? They engaged with experts from Home Depot, examined local landmarks at the Chicago Architectural Foundation, and studied the similarities and differences of homes throughout the world.

Students gained hands on experience working with tools through the creation of a Crew workbench for their classroom. Mr. Mitchell, a local carpenter, worked with Polaris kindergarteners to design and build a bench for each Kindergarten classroom. The benches, signed by each of the architects, are now a favorite place to sit during independent reading.