Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Printing Party!

This week, we introduced a new way of printing.  It's known as dendritic printing and the process goes like this:
   Lucas - First we painted on the glass and then we smushed it with another glass.  Then we put paper on both glasses and roll it.   Then we write my name and then we're done!
As children worked, they had these responses:
    Cate - (Starting with silver printers ink) Look at mine.  It's sparkly, from the sun.  
    Remy - It's beautiful.
    Cate - It's a different kind of printing (from other printing experiences).
    Remy - It looks like branches.
    Jade - Or seaweed.  
    Lucas - It's kind of like veins.  
    Capers - I'm trying to make it like seaweed on the paper.  That's why I'm rolling so much.  
    Jade - You can press really hard on the glass.
    Finlay - Look! I'm making the ocean.

A Construction Challenge

As we prepare for the school's birthday, St. John's has been represented in drawings and paintings.  Today we offered the children a challenge.... could they build St. John's?  We started by thinking about the bell tower and how tall it would have to be.  (In the photo to the right, Cate demonstrates her idea of height.)

To build something very tall, stability is a key concern.  The children implemented a strategy that we call criss-cross building to make the bell tower tall and stable.  At one point, Cape understood that they would have to stand on the table to continue building.  Naturally, everyone was excited when the ladder came out for the completion of the tower. 
  

   Wilder - I think it's going to fall.  
   Lucas - It won't fall.  It's criss-cross building!

As seen in the photos above, children added the school building next to the bell tower.  Important steps in our process were adding roof pieces, an actual bell for the bell tower, and adding watercolors that represented the school.

As the building process finished, children stepped back to evaluate their work.  They felt they had successfully accomplished the challenge and created the school.  There's interest in building a zoo next.  We'll keep you posted!