Creating, Collaborating, Persisting, and Problem Solving

Creating, Collaborating, Persisting, and Problem Solving - Outside!

11/6/2020

We took our clay outside today and continued to work with it, but in a new format. Our intention was to use the clay to make birthday messages for two of our friends with upcoming November birthdays! Cape and Lucas worked on creating a clay message for Wilder, then Lily and Wilder worked together on a second clay message for Jade's birthday.

Each birthday committee duo was offered the following materials to use for creating their unique messages.
They were also asked to think about their process and intention behind what they would create for the intended friends birthday message.

A message for Wilder,
by Lucas and Cape

What are you making, Cape?

A car. A real car.
A car going in the street.
You see what I'm using?
A big street.
I'm using this to cut down roads.

That's a smooth road.
(adding grey clay and smoothing)

My hands are strong and I push down on this.
- Cape

What can you share with us about your work, Lucas?
The imprint went away.
It goes away and it comes back.
On this kind of message.
It goes away.
I'm closing it to get inside.
(smoothing out prints made)

This one is my favorite because it has many points on it.
(when using spiral seashell)
Imprint inside a imprint inside a imprint.
*giggles*
(layering imprints)
And then I make a different kind of imprint.

This whole building is where worms live.
(the grey clay)
When the fire is on they are inside here. They wait for dinner.
They eat clay for dinner.
They live in here when it's not fire.
(the grey "middle")
I'm making these where the worms can live.
(holes made by fingers, chain, & doorknob)

I mix the color brown with this color (grey). When it's fire the clay is gonna be all brown. It's gonna be brown like orange.
The clay doesn't wrinkle when it gets cooked in the oven.
I think it is gonna wrinkle !

Ines: Do you think Wilder likes worms?
I think he does. - Lucas

A message for Jade,
by Lily and Wilder

What do you know about Jade?

Lily: She likes her cowboy boots.
Wilder: She likes her red boots.
Lily: Are you sure they are red?
Wilder: She likes her little boots.

Lily and Wilder agreed to create "Frogs" and "Frog Jumps" for Jade on her special birthday message.

Beginning a Thankful Tree ...

In a small group with some of the children, we started to discuss our school Thanksgiving celebration and what is important about the Thanksgiving holiday.
What does "giving thanks" mean, or simply put, what does the word "thankful" mean?

For Thanksgiving!
Like for Thanksgiving we can celebrate. - Hugh

We plan to add beautiful touches to our classroom in preparation for our special Thanksgiving feast and started to create something beautiful together this morning!
Stay tuned to see how this project unfolds as we continue our work next week.

Daniel and Frances have a problem to solve.

Fun Fact: Frannie loves "Cuckoo Clocks" !
There are some bird houses hanging in the trees in our outdoor classroom that remind Frannie of cuckoo clocks. She and Daniel wanted to reach them today, but understand that it's not the safest idea to climb on top of the xylophone because climbing on the instrument could damage it, or they could end up hurting themselves as well.
They need to reach those birdhouses! How did they solve their dilemma? They built something else to climb on!