Friday, October 1, 2021

Similarities and Differences

​Thinking about the ways that people and families are similar and different is an essential part of the way we begin to think about diversity.  Yesterday, we started by playing the statue game with focuses on differences.  One or two children strike a pose, while the others carefully observe.  The observers close their eyes, and the "statues" change two things in their pose.  The children then identify what has changed.  Our group yesterday proved skilled at identifying even subtle changes in body position. 

Audrey drew Jordan 

Elle drew Jill

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After lunch, the children spent time thinking about the similarities and differences of specific adults: Jordan and Jill.  Much like the Rainey children did earlier in the week, the Tucker crew started with things like clothing.  Here's some of their ideas:
   Nora: You gave a dinosaur (on your shirt) and Jill doesn’t
   Giacomo: you have blue shoes and she doesn’t 
   Lochie: You have glasses and she doesn’t
   Audrey: You have curly hair
   Nora: I wonder if you were born with it
   Lochie: And your hair is shorter than Jill’s
   Jack You have a doggy and Jill doesn’t
   Jordan: How did you know that?
   Jack: I noticed it on your name card
   Nora: You have curls under your chin and Jill doesn’t.
   Jack: You’re taller than Jill: Jack
   Sylvie :Jill has blue eyes and you have brown.
   Giacomo:Jordan and brown skin and Jill has lighter.
   Reed: Peach
   Giacomo: Beige. You’re dark brown.
   (After realizing Jill and Jordan both speak English.
   Jordan: I wonder if we speak any other languages
   Nora: Jill do you speak any other languages
   Jill: I speak a little bit of Spanish
   Nora: That’s a difference. Jill’s speaks a little bit of Spanish
Things that are the same:
    Nora: You both work in the same school
    Sylvie: Everyone has parents
    Lochie: You (both) have parents
    Nora: You have tattoos
   Jordan: Does Jill? You can ask her
    Nora: Jill, do you have tattoos on your arms?
    Jill: I do not have tattoos
   Nora: That’s a difference. You have tattoos and Jill doesn’t.
   Jill and Jordan stand next to each other. Certain children move closet to examine them. Nora moves next to Jordan to observe him.
​     Nora: Jill and Jordan both have rings.
    Jill: Do you know what that means?
    Nora: Wedding rings
    Reed: You both bake. You both own houses.
    Lochie: You both have computers
    Nora hovers around Jordan, searching for more information
   Nora: You have holes in your ears. You both speak English

Collaborative Building.... Take Two 

Last Thursday, we brought in a number of blocks in order to encourage collaborative building.  At the end of the afternoon,  the builders had expressed some frustration.  They felt liked they needed more blocks, including the hollow blocks.  There also seemed to be some breakdown in the communication process which made it difficult to work together. The teachers started the day with these questions:

What can we do to encourage and  support communication and negotiation among the builders?
What can we do to encourage and support collaboration among the builders?

We started by talking before we built  Giacomo definitely wanted to build the same type of building that had been so successful in the middle room a few weeks ago.  As he describes the process to his peers, he demonstrates his knowledge of what would make a building strong and stable.
    Giacomo - I see you brought the big blocks in.  It has to be strong and wide, and not too tall.  The wider it is, the taller you can make it.  The (wider) platform would be strong enough (to support a taller building).
     Lochie - It would be more sturdy if we built it on the floor.  
After some debate, the group decides to build on the platform, and just not move or shake the platform .
     Maxon - (Starting with the large hollow blocks). There's four of these.  
   Giacomo - Four will be enough.  (After setting up the four pillars) We need the boards from the middle room.  
​     Lochie - You can help us Jack, there''s more work to do!

After this building was built, the children tested its strength and stability by standing on top of it.  The building was strong, and the children were taller than the teachers!

The enthusiasm for building was contagious.  After completing the first building, children went on to construct a  smaller building for animals on the floor.  Everyone agreed that today's building adventure was successful.
   C.C. - It was super big, but it was easy.
   Jack - I wanted it to be SO huge!
   Maxon - I was really happy with the building today.

Introducing the People Cards to Tucker Friends

Earlier in the week, the Rainey Room children explored our set of "People Cards." These cards feature people of different gender, ages, races, and nationalities.  The provide a way to continue our discussions about diversity as children choose to sort them, tell stories about them, or form them into families.

 
​Jack - You put everyone in the world on here.  You (Jordan) look like that person (an older gentleman).  He has curly hair, but he looks like her as a kid.  Another curly haired boy.  All the people have curly hair.  (Jack selects four people)Because I only have four people in my family.

  Nora begins by choosing the pictures closer to her.
    Nora - Look at that spooky man (the photo is quite shadowy).  He has blue lips and blue hair.  We should not choose him, We should choose a nice man.   (Nora arranges a family.... photo on the left.  Naming them right to left). Daddy, mommy, big sister, little sister, cousin...
    Audrey -  Cousin!
    Nora - Grandpa.  
    Nora -(Brings out the man she previously identified as spooky). Grandpa!
    Audrey - But he's spooky!
    Nora - He's not spooky.

Pumpkin Bread!

The Tucker Room children ate the pumpkin bread for snack today and the reviews are in!
    Nora - I liked the pumpkin bread.
    Audrey - I thought it was good.
    Jack - It was delicious.  I ate as much as I could.
    Giacomo - I thought it was delicious, too!
    Elle - SO good!
    George - Yeah, it was!

Have a wonderful weekend!