The Cilantro group got a fun surprise in the Sand Area when we noticed a strand of Halloween decorations that the Aloe Vera group created and left for us to find. We transferred it to the Middle Courtyard to add to our Haunted House. At our reflection meeting, we discussed how we could show our gratitude and the group agreed that we should write a thank you note.
In the Middle Courtyard, a small group gathered to dictate the words for the letter. Knowing this group’s love for painting, I set up a provocation of an Aloe Vera plant to add illustrations to their thank you note. The group was surprised to know this plant was an Aloe Vera.
Copper: It’s a Cactus!
Jack: Look, it’s pokey.
Colette: It looks like a crown.
Copper: Yes, a pokey crown.
Ami: It is so prickly.
The group was very curious and so we brought the plant down off the shelf to take a closer look. They patiently waited for each other to take the time they needed to notice the details.
Copper: I’m not going to touch it but I’ll look very close.
Colette, while rubbing her finger gently along the center of a stem: It is soft here.
Wiley: They are in sand. They are growing in sand. There is a little one. Look here, Jack.
Jack: It is a pokey plant.
Cindy: When we made paintings of pumpkins, we noticed their shape. What do you notice about this Aloe Vera plant?
Ami: The leaves are triangles.
Cindy: We can practice drawing a triangle with our fingers on the paper.
The group took time drawing invisible lines on the paper and felt they were ready to illustrate their marks permanently.
Initially, the children were focused on the Aloe Vera plant and drew slowly. However, as the marker moved across the paper, they began to narrate stories and their line marks began to move beyond their observations.
Recognizing this moment as a time to pause, I asked the group to lift their markers for a moment and to reflect on their drawings.
Jack: I am ready for paint.
Wiley: Yea! Greens.
As the group painted, they shared their words for the thank you note:
Dear Aloe Veras,
Thanks for the decorations. Here are some thoughts from us:
Colette: They remind me of when my daddy carves pumpkins and puts a candle inside.
Ami: When I reach up to look, it reminds me of being in ballet and I am on my tippy toes.
Copper: Yes, the purple one reminds me of my ballet too.
Jack: When I look at the decoration, I think of a museum.
Wiley: I really like how you put our pictures on the pumpkins.
Copper: We all want to really say thank you.
Thank you,
From the Cilantros
