September 22nd, 2021

How to Build a Better Rainbow Catcher

Fresh off the heels of our previous work, KW sat down to share their ideas and brainstorm how to finally catch a rainbow:

    Finlay - (Referring to his drawing)  If it’s a black rainbow, it goes in here.  If it’s a blue rainbow, it goes in here.
   Wilder - I just thought that if the rainbow was in front it would go in.
   Finlay - You push the button and it sucks up all the rainbows.
   Wilder - Mine is a little like Finlay’s and a little not like Finlay’s.  Mine sucks up the rainbow and stores them and then a long time ago it goes into a box  and you close the box with tape.  It has wheels to move it around.
    Cate - (Referring to her drawing and indicating that the rainbows go in the tubes.)   Those are the rainbows inside (referring to the colored circles).
    Jill - Are we interested in building some of these ideas tomorrow?
    Children indicate that they are.
    Jill - What materials will we need?
    Finlay - We need fire, ice, a mask.
    Cate - (Again referring to her rainbow catcher)  It’s a cage.  
The group agrees that we might need cage materials and tubes,
    Cate - We have tubes!
    Wilder - How do the rainbows get in there?
    Cate -  The air.  I mean the wind.

​

Testing Our Hypotheses

Once we established our hypotheses, proposed explanations based on our limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation, we experimented with materials to see what might work for our goals. Since it was a cloudy day, there were no rainbows circulating in the Tucker Room.  We took some light sources and prisms to see if we could create rainbows.

Jade - Holding the prism up to her eyes and looking at the small flashlight)  I don’t see a rainbow.  Oh  I do!

Cate - (Holding a flashlight up to the shadow screen)  It shines through!
Jade - (Spreading dark fabric on the far side of the show screen)  I thought we could do this.
Children put the silhouette shapes on the OHP.  
Jade - ( Projecting stars) It’s night.  It’s time to go to sleep.
Bea - That looks nice.  It’s time to go to sleep. 

​

Finlay - (Pointing to a prism in the window)  There’s a rainbow

Putting it all Together

Cate - This could be a cage but there's no top. (Encloses the cage) Now they'll never get out.

Wednesday, we took all our work on rainbow catchers and put it together to create our device. Frannie, Cate and Jade started the day by working on rainbows with transparencies

Frannie - Mine's done. It looks like the rainbow is trapped. The rainbow is big.
Cate - I'm done! Now it looks like it's (rainbow) inside (the catcher).

Jade adds a rainbow the transparency.


Frannie -  This is a beautiful rainbow

Adding the final touches to the Rainbow Catcher 

Using the Rainbow's colors

Alongside our rainbow catcher research, we also worked with the colors to create new explorations. This week, we used colorful, rainbow like materials to collage and make works. We decided on two different strategies. Some friends had specific images in mind and then created them with materials. Other children let the materials inspire them and used what they thought was the strongest material to further their exploration. 

These look like green, slimy eye balls. And the blue is like water

"A monster with 100 eyes that's coming out of the water. You better be careful or he'll eat you." - Finlay
I like that you came back and added to your monster. - Jade

I wonder what happens when you add blue to the feather. Pink and blue make purple.

I want only purple and pink. And blue. That's a good color. We need to find more of those colors. - Cate

I need to collect all these materials. They are special to me.
Collects a large assortment of materials

These were my favorites. I put them on a rainbow. -Lily

These are all the colors I like - Bea

Jade - A monster

A blue tree with green leaves - Bea

I need to make more eyeballs - Finlay