Friday, November 5, 2021

From Airplanes to Origami

Last week, Kids' Workshop worked to master paper airplane folding and flying.   Yesterday children were able to apply the same techniques to origami.  Once again, it was important to fold carefully and make strong creases.  Before children began working, they took time to think about the properties of the origami paper.  As they talked, they also shared their knowledge of the properties of tissue paper.  
    Jordan - What do you notice about the paper?
    Jack -  Is it like airplane paper?
    Lochie - It's thinner.
    Nora - It's tissue paper?
    Giacomo - That's not tissue paper.
    Lochie - I can't see through it.
   Giacomo - I can almost see my hand.

The children carefully followed directions to make a dog, and then a penguin.  
    Lochie - Fold the corners together.  I see two creases.
    George - Did I do it right?
    Lochie - Let me help.
Lochie adjust George's paper so that he folds along with the instructions.
    Giacomo - I know what to do! (He "reads" the instructions and does the nest step.). Is this the mouth?
    Janie - First I'm making the tongue, then the eyes.
    
Making the penguin:
    George - It's like how you started the dog.
    Nora - The bigger you fold it, the bigger the wings.
    Lochie - I always do the instructions just like they do.
    C.C. Mine has eyebrows.  
    Lochie - Did you know the dads keep the eggs warm?
    C.C. - And they walk like this (C.C. and Lochie walk around the table like penguins.)
    Lochie - Mine stands up!
    C.C. - Mine too! 
 

Some final thoughts:
   C.C. - It was fun.  Kind of hard.  The penguin was easier.
   Lochie - It was weird.  First I made the airplane.  My sister has a book about paper airplanes.  I was very careful.

Building is Back!

This is group that loves to build!  This week, we incorporated projected images into the building.  On Thursday, Jack chose a Washington DC city-scape as a backdrop for building.  

Notice how the building echoes the statue on top of the Capitol building in the above photo.

As with every building experience, this large scale building featured problem solving and a lot of collaboration.  Everyone's ideas were welcome!   Elements of the image served as inspiration.  For example,  Initially Jack and Sylvie wanted to build a blue car.  Eventually, they made tunnels and bridges for all the cars in the image.  
    Sylvie - We're trying to make that blue car.  (She notices that the car is also projected on the blocks). And it's (the image)even on your (Jack's) pants!
Jack adds another block.
       Sylvie - Perfect!
       Jack -We need to make a taller one (building).
       Jack  - (To Elle, who has just entered) We're trying to build a city like that city but with more stuff.
       Elle - (With a block). This could be a parking lot.  
       Sylvie - We need  some people to walk here.
 They find the people, but the people don't stand independently, but they can "sit" on a block.)
      Jack - It could be a person in a wheel chair.
 

​Today the background images were different and children used animals in place of people.  The builders began by focusing building a block wall for the images.  
    Jack - We're trying to get the image on the blocks.
    Giacomo - Maxon had a great idea, blocking that space. 
    Maxon - Yeah, blocking the screen.
    Jack - Maxon's a genius!

The projected image looked great on the blocks, but it didn't make shadows on the shadow screen.  An adjustment was made to create a scene which included buildings and shadows.
     Giacomo - It's an animal planet.  The animals act like humans.
     Nora - (Adding blocks) Does this look good?
     Jack - Yeah, Nora, that's great!
     Marley - This part is a deer home.
     Maxon - The predators are way on top.
     Nora - The predators are trying to get along.  
  By the end of the afternoon, more children joined in and all the animals were able to get along!   

Meanwhile, Lochie 

Leaf Transformations

As children worked on leaf transformations yesterday, everyone chose to represent their families.

Sylvie

Elle

Audrey

Reed

Inspired by yesterday's work, children returned to leaf transformation today.  Again, several children represented their families.

Nora

Marley

Elle

C.C.

Violet

Reed's mom

Audrey's family dancing

We often see how children's ideas influence the work of others.  C.C. and Audrey created ginkgo butterflies.

Audrey

​George also drew a family portrait today.  His family is represented as a series of pumpkins and ghosts.

We would like to send a big "thank you" to Brigitte, who worked with us both Tuesday and today.  It was great that some of her 2020-2021 Rainey Room A friends were back with her today!

Have a wonderful weekend!