Construction of a building to replace North Barrington School’s 50-year-old quarters could have been viewed as a distraction, but the staff at North Barrington incorporated the noisy diversion into their lesson plans.
Sue Widmar, who teaches 4th grade, found that construction aided her science and math instruction. Every morning the class sent representatives to the work site to ask what the workers considered to be their problem for the day.
“The site is right outside our window, and we could watch how they dealt with their problem each day. We saw them constantly measuring, and it taught the children about the importance of accuracy better than any textbook could,” Widmar said.
The project’s construction manager, Jeff Masters, visited classrooms when asked to share the skills and challenges faced in construction. He “taught about area, perimeter and volume,” Widmar said. “The students had to calculate the volume of their new science center.”
Students also got a chance to learn about the skills needed to construct their new school when tradesmen were invited to join the students for lunch in the cafeteria on Fridays. Plumbers, pipefitters, electricians and bricklayers all shared hot lunch with the children.
“They would bring their equipment and explain how it works,” Widmar said. “The students loved it, and the workers were so happy to be with the kids and have someone show an interest in their skills. These skills are in demand, and it got our children thinking about careers.”
