On Monday, Samantha brought out a small group of children to the Charity
Garden with the intention of figuring out a way to support the bean vines
in growing upright. The group quickly accomplished the task and then moved
on to exploring the plants more closely. While entranced
with how the plants felt on their fingers, they soon noticed the
plethora of bugs crawling around the soil and plants.
Isabelle: I just can't stop touching this plant.
Legacy: I know. Me, too. It feels so good, it's so soft.
Wait. Look at these bugs here! The bugs need to get out. We should
kill them.
Wait. Look at these bugs here! The bugs need to get out. We should
kill them.
Laurel: No, Legacy, we can't do that 'cause then the bugs won't be
able to go back to their families.
able to go back to their families.
Legacy: Well, we need the plants, too, so that we can eat. The bugs
are eating all the plants. See that's why this one is dead.
are eating all the plants. See that's why this one is dead.
Henry: But we also want the bugs to go back to their families, so
that they aren't sad and they can do all kinds of fun things.
that they aren't sad and they can do all kinds of fun things.
Samantha: So what do you think we should do about the bugs?
Isabelle: We should build a bug house!
Henry: Yah! A bug house so that the bugs can live there. We
can put bug food inside so they won't eat our plants.
can put bug food inside so they won't eat our plants.
After this conversation, Samantha brought the childrens plan to
the staff meeting to get the teachers' reflections on the next step to
this investigation. We came to the conclusion that the goal is not to
quickly build a bug house, but to slow down and explore the idea, and to
gather more information from the children about what they are thinking.
the staff meeting to get the teachers' reflections on the next step to
this investigation. We came to the conclusion that the goal is not to
quickly build a bug house, but to slow down and explore the idea, and to
gather more information from the children about what they are thinking.
The teachers are wondering:
1. Why do the children think the bugs need a house?
2. Do they plan on all the different kinds of bugs living in one
home?
home?
3. What does the idea of a house mean to the children? What does it
represent?
represent?
4. What do the children know about bugs?