The First Graders at Banaadir Elementary worked hard to create a classroom Box City during their study of 2D and 3D shapes.

First, they studied architects and architecture, then they brainstormed the buildings in a city. Next, they drew a blueprint plan of the building they chose. Each student selected a 3D box to use for their building, then they added 2D shapes for the details, such as windows, doors and signs. They carefully arranged the box buildings to create their own city, made people out of wooden pegs, and added roads and traffic signs.

The First Grades worked collaboratively to create a project: their own Box City. They were architects, engineers, mathematicians, and artists, and they utilized their creativity, imagination, and problem solving skills and were able to apply their knowledge of shapes to a fun and interesting classroom project!

A first grader’s hand-drawn plan for an aquarium building, showing blue and green fish, rests on a clipboard labeled Grade 1 Box City Blueprints

Box City Blueprints

Smiling student in glasses holds up a small handmade doll wrapped in colorful fabric scraps

Wooden Peg Doll

Small handmade peg dolls dressed in colorful paper and fabric stand in front of a model house made from a decorated box, part of a classroom community project

Box City Mansion

Student-made Grade 1 Box City buildings: a jar aquarium filled with blue water and toy fish, with a sign reading Aquarium Is Open, next to a box restaurant labeled Wendy’s decorated with food pictures

Box City Aquarium and Wendy’s

Student-made flower shop built from a decorated box, with a handwritten sign, tissue-paper plants in small clay pots, and two handmade peg dolls out front

Box City Flower Shop

Student-made model buildings from decorated boxes, with handwritten signs reading Starbucks Coffee and Clothing Store, for a classroom community project

Box City Starbucks

Student moves a toy car along a paper road in front of model buildings made from decorated boxes during a classroom community-building project

Box City Roads

Student moves a toy taxi along a paper road past model buildings made from boxes during a classroom community-building project

Box City Cars