KINDERGARTEN

INFRASTRUCTURE UNIT

UNIT OUTCOMES

  • I can define the word infrastructure.
  • I can identify the things a city needs in order for people to live there.
  • I can identify professionals who build infrastructure.
  • I can explain how we create tools and materials from things found in nature. 
  • I can demonstrate how professionals use tools and materials to build cities. 
  • I can explain how technology helps people living in cities.
  • I can create a graph to show information.

WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS INFRASTRUCTURE?
Look at the picture below. What kinds of things do you see in this picture?
Some things people need to live in a city are:​

Tool Box

​IMPORTANT WORDS
graph: a picture that shows information

​Infrastructure: all the things a town or city needs for people to live there

materials: things found in nature that people use to build things

professional: a person who does a job using a special skill

Skills: abilities that people have that others can't do without training

STEM professional: a person who has a job doing science, technology, engineering, and math

tools: items that people create to help them make and build things 
PROFESSIONS
carpenter: people who build things out of wood.
​
millworker: people who install things inside a house or building

mechanic: people who build and repair machines

brick layer: people who build things with stones and bricks

ironworker: people who build things with iron and steel​

plumber: people who install and repair pipes

lather: people who install large tiles called dry wall​
All the things a town or city needs for people to live there is called infrastructure. Infrastructure is made, managed, and repaired by professionals. Professionals are people who do a job with special tools, materials and skills. Tools are items that people create to help them make and build things. Materials are things found in nature that people use to build things. Skills are abilities that people have that others can't do without training.
WHO BUILDS INFRASTRUCTURE?​
Let's watch these videos about infrastructure professionals.
Carpenter
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do carpenters help people to live in a city?
Plumber
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do plumbers help people to live in a city?
Electrician
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do electricians help people to live in a city?
Mason
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do masons help people to live in a city?
Tailor
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do tailors help people to live in a city?
Architect
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do architects help people to live in a city?
​Engineer
  1. What type of professional did you just learn about?
  2. What does this professional make or do?
  3. What materials does this professional need to do their job?
  4. Why do you think these materials are used?
  5. ​What tools does this professional need to do their job?
  6. How do engineers help people to live in a city?

WEEKS 2 - 8

HOW DO PROFESSIONALS BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE?
Over the next seven weeks you will participate in centers where you will learn about how different professionals build infrastructure. In each center, you will pretend you are a professional that must perform a job to build infrastructure. You will use a special set of materials and tools to do this. 

WEEK 9

HOW DO PROFESSIONALS ANALYZE INFORMATION?
Professionals must collect and analyze information to do their jobs. This means they must look closely at the information and understand what it means. Today we will look at what you learned about infrastructure, collect information, and create a graph with the information we collected. A graph is a picture that shows information. Today we will create a bar graph. Bar graphs show the amounts of different things. 

This is a bar graph that shows the numbers of students whose favorite colors are red, yellow, green, blue, orange, and purple. Let's look at the information together.
According to the graph....
  1. How many students like red? 
  2. ​How many students like yellow? 
  3. ​How many students like green? 
  4. ​How many students like blue? 
  5. ​How many students like orange? 
  6. ​How many students like purple? 

​If all of the students who voted are in one class, how many students are there in all?
HOW DO PROFESSIONALS BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE?
Now, that you know how to read a bar graph, we will create one of our own. Think about the centers that you did. Take a moment to talk with you partner. What was your favorite center and why?

Now we are going to collect information in a tally sheet. Then we will record the information in a bar graph together.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

  • I can define the word infrastructure.
  • I can identify the things a city needs in order for people to live there.
  • I can identify professionals who build infrastructure.
  • I can explain how we create tools and materials from things found in nature. 
  • I can demonstrate how professionals use tools and materials to build cities. 
  • I can explain how technology helps people living in cities.
  • I can create a graph to show information.
STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS UNIT:
ITEEA STEL:
STEL-1B: Explain the tools and techniques that people use to help them do things
STEL-1D: Discuss the roles of scientists, engineers, technologists and others who work with technology
STEL-2B: Safely use tools to complete tasks
STEL-2C: Explain that materials are selected for use because they have desirable properties and characteristics
STEL-3A: Apply concepts and skills from technology and engineering activities that reinforce concepts and skills across multiple content areas
STEL-3B: Draw connections between technology and human experiences
STEL-5A: Explain the needs and wants of individuals and societies
STEL-5B: Explore how technologies are developed to meet individual and societal needs and wants
STEL-7A: Apply design concepts, principles, and processes through play and exploration
STEL-7B: Demonstrate that designs have requirements
STEL-7C: Explain that design is a response to wants and needs
STEL-7D: Discuss that all designs have different characteristics that can be described
STEL-7F: Differentiate essential skills of the technology and engineering design process
STEL-7G: Apply skills necessary for making in design
STEL-8A: Analyze how things work
STEL-8C: Describe qualities of everyday products
​
ISTE:
ISTE 1.1d: Technology Fundamentals - Students understand fundamental concepts of how technology works, demonstrate the ability to choose and use current technologies effectively, and are adept at thoughtfully exploring emerging technologies.
ISTE 1.3d: Explore Real-World Issues - Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions.
ISTE 1.4a: Design Process - Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
ISTE 1.4b: Design Constraints - Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
ISTE 1.5b: Data Sets - Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
ISTE 1.5c: Decompose Problems - Students break problems into component parts, extract key information and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
ISTE 1.6c: Communicate Complex Ideas - Students use digital tools to visually communicate complex ideas to others.
ISTE 1.7c: Project Teams - Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.