When children begin to expand their knowledge of the multiple materials available and they move from the exploration stage to the implementation process of representing their ideas, the teachers wonder how they will apply what they’ve learned to their current interests. Currently, small groups have been looking at circuits, testing the electric flow through batteries…
A few children gathered at the mini-studio to work on partner observational drawings of sunflowers. The area had an arrangement of images of sunflowers and of fresh and decaying ones that invited children to cut, pluck, and examine their structure. Teacher Jen: When you take a closer look at these sunflowers, what do you notice?…
Before the children went into the Atelier to meet with Stuart, our sound and music teacher, the group sat on the couch and chose books to read. Gus chose Llama, Llama, Red Pajama. As we read, Gus would point to the highlighted words and ask. “What is that word?” He then would listen to the…
To encourage community building among the children, we usually begin our appointments by asking a question and getting them to express their ideas so they can listen to one another. Theo G.: It’s a machine Dashiell: When the bugs go all the way up here, it turns into Pac Man Bea: Can you do it?…
The West Wing food exploration has lead us to soup. While discussing ingredients, onions came up and the teachers shared that they make us cry. Believing themselves immune, some children volunteered to cut onions for the soup. At reflection meeting the children shared their experience. Cooper: We were crying a lot. Even after we…
Using the dehydrator donated by Luke’s grandmother, Sara, we experienced the food in new ways as it changed color, texture and flavor. Luke: It turns it into dry foods. Lily: The oranges get dry. Laz: They got chewy! Jai: I don’t like the banana. I don’t like the crunchy part. Lily: (holding the orange…
Teacher Amy: Would you like to try the dry tangerine? Amalia: I don’t want to. I don’t like sour. Jelani: I do, I do! (He takes one and tastes it) Oooo! It’s sour…and crunchy. (his face scrunches up) It’s so good. Can I have more? (He eats another) Yum! Amalia (watching Jelani’s reaction): Can I…
Teacher Cindy and Sam facilitated a bus trip with Laura (Maude’s mom) down Venice Blvd. to the beach with the group who had been discussing a beach painting. With cameras in hand they focused on different angles in order to see the beach from the different perspectives, and on visualizing the elements they had been…
During the first few weeks of school, the teachers noticed the children’s interest in combining materials to move objects. In the Atelier, they used rope to drag logs and in the Building Space, they threaded cables through plastic spools to roll them. Wondering how they would move clay, the teachers introduced rope to the Exploration…