Graduating – from flowers to bugs.

What began as a flower representation shifted to the beginning of an insect investigation. As the children  transferred their drawings from a shower curtain to the more permanent Plexiglas panel, a conflict arose.

There was an agreement among the children that flowers and plants would go on the bottom, crawly bugs would go near the flowers, and flying bugs would go higher.

When Julian and Micah began to transfer their drawings they added a new idea.

“Let’s put our spider up here.” Micah points to the sky.

“Have you seen spiders in the sky?” Teacher Cindy reflects his choice back to him.

“They live up in webs.” Micah expands.

“Yea, we are gonna make a web up here and they are going to live in it.” Julian adds in support of Micah’s explanation.

Micah and Julian drew their spiders and made plans to create a web on their next visit. Other children worked to add their insects. Knowing Micah and Julian’s plan, some friends still chose to draw their butterflies and ladybugs in close vicinity to the proposed web. When it was time to add the web those children were intentionally included in the meeting to negotiate its placement.

“Don’t put it near my butterflies.” Devin protested, indicating her knowledge of the food chain.

“But that would be good ’cause they could be our prey.” Micah, understanding Devin’s concern, but seeing the benefits of it, replied.

“Spiders like to suck the juice out of butterflies.” Julian, liking the potential for support of his spider added details of the butterflies’ usefulness.

“We don’t want our bugs eaten.” Lucy C. clarified Devin’s protective concern.

“Make the web go up higher.” Devin, reasserting her protest,  suggested a solution.

“Put the web near the butterfly but not touching it. It can be around the spiders.” Kai found and voiced a compromise.

Julian moves the web up and checks with Micah, “What about this?”

Micah agrees and the rest of the group agrees, too. But then Micah remembers Teacher Cindy’s question and says, “Hey, wait. A web can’t just float in the sky. It needs to be connected to something.”

This began our investigation of spiders and most specifically how and where they make their webs.

This investigation – of flowers and now bugs that live among flowers – has captured the children’s interest since they were in the West Wing. Long term investigations are useful tools for teachers to see progress clearly over time.

These children have gone from representing flowers as a formula: a center circle with five petals, to really looking, listening, and sharing their ideas. The communication level of these East Wingers and their patience with each other and support of each other’s ideas while working through representing conflicting passions exhibits a dedication to the foundation of all learning – reciprocal communication.

They analyzed needs, environment, listened to concerns, considered possibilities and resolved, through collaborative efforts, to agree upon a compromise. The children challenged themselves with the provocation:  What’s more valuable, a butterfly or a spider? With invested interest and considerable skills, they were able to facilitate amongst themselves, with no teacher interaction, a peaceable coexistence for all beloved bugs.                                                                                                                 Cindy and Kris