As part of their study of China, the first graders at JKHA spent some time researching the history of the Great Wall of China. They collected facts from different books and some online sources. Students were amazed at how long the Great Wall of China is, how long it took to be built and how it helped protect Northern China from invaders. After they completed their research, the students actually built models of the wall out of different materials in the library MakerSpace. They worked in groups using various materials to build the foundation, the walls, the watchtowers and even the steps of the wall. After they collaborated and completed the mini-versions, they realized that if it took them so long to build just a small model, no wonder it took the Chinese people so long to build the real thing! They also read the book “The Seven Chinese Brothers” by Margaret Mahy to remind the students that when they work together, they can do great things.