Centers are commonly established in the Early Childhood classroom as an opportunity for students to explore and mimic the world around them. It is in these environments that students explore and engage in block play – where students begin an in-depth study of the science, mathematics, and social sciences behind buildings. The activities included in this unit are designed to enable students to explore buildings through a variety of different mathematical and scientific lenses. Students will first examine characteristics and attributes of buildings at the largest level – buildings around the world. They will be introduced to several notable architects that have designed and constructed unique structures around the world. Then, bringing the study of buildings “closer to home”, they will examine their community and discuss how buildings provide for the services and amenities that allow our neighborhoods to function. With an understanding of where buildings are and what they are for, they will then examine the materials and tools that are commonly used during construction and evaluate their properties. Students will use blueprints to examine the design of buildings and use this knowledge to construct the strongest, tallest tower. These learning experiences will lead students to completing a final, cumulative engineering design challenge requiring problem solving, perseverance, and risk taking.