Teacher Yoli watched as Kian and Lucca enthusiastically entered the Paper House in the front yard. They worked side by side together for a few moments and then very quickly she heard, “I’m done” and with that, they both got up to leave. Wondering why they had disengaged so quickly, she asked them to show her their work and tell her what they were thinking when they were drawing. Is there a story that can be extended with just a little more interest? With her engagement and genuine desire to learn more, they began to add to their stories and reengage with each other.
Lucca: “I am going to make a monster in my picture because this is scary what I’m doing. My paper is about monsters, aliens, and dinosaurs.”
Kian: “I’m making mine scary.” As he points to the swirls of paint on his paper, he adds, “This is the scary forest.”
Yoli: “How would we know this is a forest?”
Kian: “The trees. Lots and lots and lots of trees.”
Yoli: “Where are the trees?”
Lucca: “Maybe we can use brown for the trees.”
Yoli: “That’s an idea! Maybe we can look all through the Paper House and see what we can find. What things might look like a tree?”
Lucca finds some sticks that seem to be too long for Kian’s paper. “Break them.”
They glue sticks to Kian’s painting.
Yoli prompts more work: “How will you make the dinosaur?”
Kian runs to the easels adjacent to the Paper House and paints a Brachiosaurus.
Lucca joins him back inside the paper house.
They continue to inspire each other with added materials for another 45 minutes.
