Theme - Construction Theme

Hi! I am thinking about doing a construction theme too for my 1st grade classroom. I found some neat construction signs at the teachers' store and found some "hard hats" at the dollar store too. This way I can take the students' pictures in the hard hats the first day of class. Here is some other ideas I had for titles, etc.

Reading Zone

Our Construction Crew

Building Up Character

Beginner Blueprints for Reading (I was thinking about using this for a word wall. I am going to try to get some old blueprints to put up as the background to the bulletin board.)

Building a Foundation for Learning

Kids at Work

Use empty paint cans for pencil, scissors, etc. holder

Use caution tape for bulletin board borders

I was also trying to think up something for my reading corner. I may try to purchase some of the cardboard building blocks so that I can "build" some small walls (with an opening for the door) to block off the reading corner. Of coarse, don't build them too high since you want to see the kids reading! I would glue the blocks together too so that they wouldn't be knocked over all the time :).

Hope this helps. I'm still in the brainstorming stage :).

Here's nameplate I made.

I am interested in doing a construction theme, and I have found and came up with some ideas. I'm still brainstorming, but here is what I have come up with so far:

-Today's Blueprint
I'll use this to post the day's routine.

-The Job Squad
This is going to be my classroom jobs bulletin board title. I plan on using the Kids at Work border that I found in a magazine along with construction hat cut outs. I'm going to put the job on the construction hat, and on the first day of school, I am going to take individual pictures of the kids. I'll laminate thier headshot and put their faces under the hat to show that they have that job.

-Area Under Kidstruction
This is the title of the area I'm going to use to post students work. They will each have a spot that is all theirs. They can put up something that they want (picture, drawing, good test). Now, I may once and a while say that I want something certain posted. Of course, the things that they post must be appropriate and approved by me.

-In the works....
This is going to be the information board..menu, calendar etc.
I couldn't come up with another title.

-Lunch Break
This will be the title of the lunch account board.

-Reading Zone
The Reading Area

-Caution: Thinking Cap Required (instead of hard hat required)
This will be the title of a brainteaser bullentin board I wanted to do. It was serve as a place where I can also do review problems. When the submit their answer to me, they can pin up a light bulb on the board with thier name.

-Crooks' Crew
This is what I was thinking of doing for the welcome board. My last name is Crooks, so that's what I am up with. I don't know what I would really do to display it though. I don't want to do the hard hats since that is what I am doing for my job board. Any ideas for my welcome board?

Alright that's what I have so far. Anyone have any other ideas for me? Any other ideas for titles I should use instead? Help with my welcome board is needed. How could I decorate the reading area?

I'm going to be teaching third grade... is this theme idea good or should I go with camping?

AR Board-Build a Better Future-READ
Job Board-Working Together Brick by Brick/building Comminity by Helping
Attendance-Have them Punch in at the "Time Clock"

I started out with the idea of a construction theme but then changed my mind. The attached file is time cards were going to be used for lunch count. I was going to put magnets on them and have the kids put their card on either school or sack lunch on the file cabinet. Good Luck! I had a hard time finding construction stuff.

Jobs:
Foreman
Supervisor
Receptionist
Sanitation organizer

I did this once. It was really good at engaging some of my more active boys in reading. I used the paint cans (pint sized) for word banks and we put all of our descriptive words in the can. Everytime we found a word that we felt was especially descriptive, we wrote it on an index card and placed it in the can. The child put their name on the back and at the end of the day, we read them and added them to our word wall/bank.
We of course talked about how words paint pictures. The kids really loved this and we filled our walls with great words in no time!

I used 5 gallon buckets with upholstered lids at a few centers that year. They stored materials and were easily cleaned.

Those little plastic bins used for nails and things might be pretty neat for storing small items.

You really could used use the tool belts... or carpenter's apron for your calendar activities.

Use washers for counters and don't forget the PVC pipe whispermaphones to help with fluid reading.

I have (for years) used the ceiling hooks with a dropped ceiling and place bags (balls) and lightweight items up high for storage... why not use buckets?

Self adhesive floor tiles work really well on the wall as dry erase boards.
I once put many low on the wall outside my classroom for the kids to write notes to parents or school friends, the janitor... anyone they liked. Mostly it was used as a reward but many of my kids really got into writing this way. We painted names on permanently so folks knew where to look for their student.

Don't hesitate to use your home improvement store. They will cut things for you and sometimes even help deliver if they understand that kids will benefit. Develop a good rapport with the main manager. They are usually great!

For my parent meetings, I actually got one store to come and demonstrate one home improvement technique (15 min) at every meeting. Things like basic maintainence, tiling, flooring, dishwasher installation, and closet organization were covered at the end of my meeting. I had a lot better turn out. A lot of dads and grandparents became more involved and families worked together.

I hope something here will help.
Have a great first year. Teaching can be so rewarding!

"CAUTION GREAT MINDS AT WORK" You can use this as sign above your door entering into your class.

orange cones small and large
caution tape
hard hats
Toolbox: can have pencils,erasers ect.

Does anyone have any pictures of their classroom with the construction theme. This is what I have planned for next year. I have caution and danger tape that police and construction workers use. Also, an orange fence that the construction crew uses.


Main Bulletin Board: "Futures Under Construction"

Door to classroom: Hard Hats Needed...Great Minds Being Built


Job Wall Display: -Diggin in to Help!
DIRT Hill (name of job) and Shovel(student name)

I am not sure what leader to have!



Birthday Wall Display: Building Zone

NOT SURE YET?????





Calendar Bulletin Board: Town Hall

daily news, birthday, insormation, weeks, months, weather, etc.



Behavior Wall: Nailing for good behaviors




Classroom Rule Wall:

Pitch In! Help Whenever you Can (looks like a park sign)
Study Zone (looks like a no passing zone sign)
Friendship is a Two-Way Street (Two way street)
Stop Look and Listen (Stop Sign)
There is No Limit to Learning (Speed Limit Sign)



CENTERS



Reading Center Board-Build a Better Future-READ
yellow and white caution tape like they use to block of an area under construction (much like the police line tape)



Math Center: U Turn to Math (looks like a u-turn sign)



Writing Center: Keep Writing (looks like a merge right sign)


Art Center:Kidstruction

Housekeeping- ?????

Computer Center: Learning zone


Block Center: Building one brick at at time

If you can name any more centers with heading....just

I bought a group of bulletin board decorations that have different road signs on them.

Exa.
U Turn to Math (looks like a u-turn sign)
Keep Writing (looks like a merge right sign)
Pitch In! Help Whenever you Can (looks like a park sign)
Study Zone (looks like a no passing zone sign)
Friendship is a Two-Way Street (Two way street)
Follow the Rules (One way road)
Walk into Learning (Like a cross walk)
Buckle Up with a Good Book (Buckle Up Sign)
Scientists at Work (looks like road construction)
Road to Success (Slippery when wet sign)
Stop Look and Listen (Stop Sign)
There is No Limit to Learning (Speed Limit Sign)

These are from Frank Schaffer Publications and there are 16 pieces

These give you another aspect if you want!!!

Good luck!

This comes from a 5th grade teacher at Adcock Elementary in Las Vegas, Nevada
On the first day of school, I meet the students wearing a hard hat that says, "Room 35 Construction Crew." I discuss with the students how starting a new school year is like building a house. The foundation is the relationships we have with other people in the school (other classes, the office staff, other teachers, etc), the frame is the relationships we have with our own classmates, and the interior is the decorations in our classroom and around the school. We discuss how important each of these elements is to making our school successful and how if one part of our building falls down, the house won't stand up. Then, we talk about building codes that regulate the building of houses. The students then come up with their own building code for our classroom (i.e.-rules).
Throughtout the year, whenever we are having problems in the classroom, I talk to the students about how the house we have built is not working right and might collapse. We go back and talk about the building code, which is much more interesting way to discuss classroom rules.
Name tags could be made using a construction hat design.

Hi
I do a theme every year. 2 years ago I did a construction unit and it was GREAT! I had aprons donated from a local construction company and it was tied to the kids chairs for supplies, I got a hard hat from many different companies and had them hanging above their coat hooks, with their names on them. I bought mini dump trucks for reward buckets for the center of their tables. I did a whole unit on building a good solid paragraph. The bulletin board came out great. My sayings were...."Teamwork makes for a successful day on the job" "Pitch in and help to Keep our JobSite clean" (For the job board.) For the check-in board I had Timecards and they punched in every day and put in for their lunch. It was really fun and the kids eyes when they walked in on the first day was great! I know I had other things...e-mail me if you want.