A conversation while working with clay
Rowena: “They get this from the shop”.
Julian: “Maybe they got it from a factory. Maybe they added oil.”
Ila: “It feels oily because they added water.”
Teacher: “Why are there different colors?”
Aidan: “They put them in a color machine.”
Ila: “Maybe it’s paint.”
Micah: “At the clay factory they use a dough machine.”
Aidan: “They use ingredients from play dough.”
Teacher: “It doesn’t feel like play dough.”
Aidan: “They use the same machine but it’s a little different.”
Micah: “ They make it the same but just before it comes out of the machine they paint it.”
Teacher (pointing to the center of the clay): "How does the paint get inside?”
Aidan: “Oh, first they poke holes and then paint it.”
Ila: “They put it in the oven and let it rise.”
Here, at school, the children have been an active part in making all of our bread, pizza and play dough. They have measured, poured and stirred. They have watched bread dough rise and tasted it fresh from the oven.
Through these conversations the teachers are aware that the children are making connections to clay and their previous experiences with other types of pliable materials. After further dialogue, a decision was made to further research the origin of our clay.