“How can we make it not move?” – Navin

“This is hard. It keeps on moving. How can we make it not move?” – Navin

The children have been rotating in to help with creating sets and props for their movie. The castle needs to open up to view the exterior and interior so we challenged the children to use cardboard in a different way to create a set that is able to open up. It also needs to be built to scale for puppets that will be used in the movie. The children measured and created the drawbridge for the exterior and designed rooms in the interior of the castle. Over the last few weeks, the children completed the structure of the castle and have also helped to make props like chairs, tables, beds, and a curtain using fabric swatches, cardboard, a lot of adhesive, paints, measuring and writing tools.

Teacher Katherine: Let’s talk about what we’ve been working on.

Asher: I did this roof.

Lela: I made the grandma’s bed and room.

Teacher Melanie: All of you have been working so hard on your ideas to contribute to this castle for the movie.

Ava: We also made the curtain.

Alice: We put a rug inside the castle.

Theo: We need the props to not move around in the castle for the movie.

Navin: This is hard. It keeps on moving. How can we make it not move?

Alice: I have an idea! We need to use the tape and then tape the legs on the floor.

Maude: Can you show me what you mean, Alice?

Alice: Yeah!

This project is rich in materials. It enabled the children to exercise their flexibility and collaborative care for one another, which is shown through sustained engagement and focus, how helpful they are with one another, how they share responsibilities, and how they listen to one another’s ideas and are able to articulate and problem solve together. The castle has been completed and is ready to shoot. We hope to start filming in the next couple of weeks. 

– Teachers Melanie and Katherine  June 16, 2016