WNS Ville - 20th Century Project is a 21st Century Example

By: Lynne Allen, Laura Roberts, Kaline Schultz and Christine Sharma (1st Grade Teachers)

This article featured in the CAIS Faculty Newsletter - Fall 2011

The culminating project in first grade at Westside Neighborhood School is a grand finale: the creation of a town, fondly named WNS Ville. Its inception occurred twenty years ago when one of our team members noted children using their free choice time to set up a store in the corner of the room. This observation led to the idea of children creating their own town, conceived, designed, built, and run by first graders. Our school administration has been supportive since the beginning, setting aside our multi-purpose room for two weeks in May so the town can be built and visited by students in older grades who are eager to revisit a project that continues to engage them, no matter what the age.

The process begins when the first graders gather together to brainstorm what kind of businesses they would like to create. The only restriction is that they may not replicate any businesses from the previous year. Through discussion and voting the list is whittled down to twelve enterprises. There is always a bank and a post office to ensure that there are multiple opportunities to weave math and writing into the experience.

On the second day of planning, students sign-up to run one of the stores. Over the years we have had restaurants, nature stores, bakeries, smoothie shops, museums, flower shops, craft stores, golf courses, catering trucks, toy stores, bookstores, games shops, and more. Students are clearly influenced by the local events of the previous year. When a Hometown Buffet opened in our community the children wanted to include a buffet restaurant, cupcakes have been big over the last few years, and when LA experienced riots in 1994 the children were insistent that there be a National Guard.

The next week is filled with the work of designing the buildings (cardboard cargo boxes the size of a child’s playhouse); painting them (joyful but messy); making lists of materials needed, either made by the children, donated by families, or provided by mini grants from our local Rotary club; and earning seed money by making or donating (our currency is color-coded and sports ink drawings of our administrative team). Students spend time each day in groups of four—planning, problem solving, and thinking out of the box. Teachers do not intervene or make suggestions, instead, they facilitate by asking questions in order for the children to find their own answers. Developmentally, children of this age think big and the possibilities are endless. One year, children wanted to have a gem shop but found that their parents were not willing to hand over their diamonds for sale. The children decided instead to paint rocks with gold paint. Another year, some ambitious firsties discovered they could make sandwiches when they realized they couldn’t serve fried chicken and mashed potatoes because our school does not have a stove.

Six and seven year olds are confident about their abilities to be independent and when adults encourage this belief, exciting things happen. Over the years our teaching team has learned to get out of the way and trust that the children will make it work. Yes, it is messy and demanding, time consuming, and even exhausting, but the results are gratifying beyond measure. We know that we are contributing in lasting ways to their ability to trust in themselves, work as a team, and create something that will last in their memories for the rest of their school days.