Lesson Plan - Building a House: Laying a Foundation

Purpose: To learn how a house is staked in preparation for building.

• To learn what the foundation of a structure (house) is made of.
  
• To understand that the foundation is the most important part of the house.
  
• To understand how the plumbing is laid in the foundation.
  
• To understand how the foundation is poured.
  
• To identify workers and tools involved in the initial process.
  

Review Background:
Have students discuss cement trucks, their contents and what they know about concrete. Ask questions about the land on which a house is to be built. "Open-ended" questions will allow the teacher to determine concepts children already have.

Importance of this Lesson:
This lesson will help students understand the initial building process in greater detail, starting with land preparation.

Objectives:
At the end of this lesson the learner will demonstrate an understanding of the first phase of building a structure (house) by:

• Naming the sequence of building from plotting and staking to pouring the foundation.
• Selecting materials and equipment necessary to laying the foundation.
• Stating the difference between concrete and cement.
• Drawing a "staked" diagram of a foundation.
• Demonstrating the act of "floating".
• Determining what plumbing is needed for the house.
  

Motivation:
Read the poem "A New House is Being Built"
by Peggie Jelks. Discuss different parts of the structure included in the poem.

Activities and Procedures
The teacher and/or student will::

• Have a list of new vocabulary words written on the board, or use the list provided (may be reproduced for each child), discuss words throughout the lesson.
• Discuss the "site", explaning the term and what might go into selecting where to build (type of land, on or near water, hillside,etc.).
• Discuss site leveling, and general preparation for the foundation.
• Discuss the role of the cement truck in laying a foundation.
• Discuss "floating" as a means of smoothing and leveling the poured concrete.
• Provide different mixtures for students to experiment with to determine hardness.
• Discuss the difference between concrete and cement.
• Discuss the mixture contained in a cement truck; water, clay, linestone, and gravel.
• Discuss why the drums of cement trucks are always rotating.
• Read the story Houses, by Bernard Chase (read this in segments because it relates houses built of varying materials and in different parts of the world)).
• Using construction paper or cardboard, allow students to outline a foundation.
• Discuss what plumbing is, how it is "laid" into the foundation and to what rooms it will need to be connected.
• Identify specific people responsible for each portion of the job.
  Invite several workers from a site to speak to the class, explaining his/her job and showing tools of the trade.
• Using newspapers or books, cut out floor plans of different houses, compare each plan by discussing the differences.
  

Small Group Activity
Appoint several students to different groups to develop the foundation for their" house."Include the following activities:

• allow students to decide which worker he/she would like to be
• draw foundation plan
• lay-out plumbing, use small drinking straws
• make a mixture that will harden (Plaster of Paris)
• in a plastic (or waterproof) top, follow plan allowing students to complete the group's foundation.

Materials:

• Vocabulary words site
  
• Plaster of Paris
  
• newspapers or magazines pictures of foundations
  
• pictures of tools poem
  
• tradebook construction paper
  
• Activity sheets
  
• a few realistic tools
  
• plastic straws
  
• waterproof containers
  
• Lego Worlds web site
  

* This could be done using sand, but will not have a harden effect.


Early Finishers (Enrichment)

• Allow each student to draw a foundation plan
  
• a diary story about"The Day I Laid a Foundation", or "Driving a Cement Truck" "Being a Plumber"
  

Special Needs

• Learning the poem will aid in developing rhythm in speaking, vocabulary, and thinking skills.
  
• Interacting with the "construction" materials encourages hand-eye and motor skills coordination and development.
  

Closure

Have students sequentially provide directions for developing a foundation.

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