In the Neighborhoods unit, designed for grades K-1, students are introduced to a real-world problem: city planners need ideas for what to build in a large empty space. It’s up to the class to investigate their own neighborhood and design new places that meet the needs and wants of the people who live there.

Through a series of six hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore what makes neighborhoods work. They study maps, go on neighborhood walks, and build a 3D classroom map to identify the important places people need (like schools, grocery stores, and hospitals) and the places they want (like playgrounds, restaurants, and movie theaters). Just like scientists, they ask questions, make observations, and collect information about how people use these spaces. Along the way, they see how neighborhoods balance needs and wants, and how every place supports the people who live there.

In the final four lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work in teams to design and build their own models for the empty space. Just like engineers, they brainstorm ideas, sketch plans, build with everyday materials, and then test and improve their models against clear criteria: the new place must be useful, made from everyday materials, and clearly show its purpose. The final neighborhood models are imaginative, purposeful designs that highlight how even our youngest learners can combine creativity and problem-solving to reimagine the communities around them.