We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Break!  
We will continue working with our individual mosaics and introduce printing experiences.  KW has also volunteered to make a holiday gift for Gini, the priest at St. John's.  Since these children are well-versed in committee work, we will begin by asking her a few questions.  We can't wait to get started!

This week a big focus of the Tucker KW days was mosaics and collages.  As Giacomo accurately observed, both process use glue.  After Thanksgiving, KW will be working on a gift for the school, mosaics that will surround the paper towel dispensers in the bathroom.   This week, we worked on smaller, individual mosaics to get a solid understanding of the process.  You'll remember that we made many small clay tiles that would be a part of the mosaics.  This week, we also spent time cutting up donated jewelry for the project. 

   
Although the children were working on individual pieces, the proximity of their friends fostered conversation.  As the talked, children shared knowledge and techniques, as well as showing appreciation for each other's work. 
   Nora: I made mosaics in Tucker B but we call it the Atelier and we made it out of glass.
   Giacomo: I remember making mosaics.
   Nora: (examining the clay tiles) They look so beautiful
Nora dips her brush in glue and lets is drip over her base
    Janie: Woah. How do you do that Nora?
Janie tries to copy Nora’s technique
    Jordan: Today we are going to attach our pieces to the base and next time we will add the grout.
    Elle: What’s that?
​    Giacomo: Do you know what grout is?
    Elle: No
    Nora: Grout is like cement but it’s white. It’s sticky and it takes 3 days (to harder). Like one and after another.
Examining each others work:
    Janie: Wow Sylvie, that’s beautiful
    Giacomo: Yup, she’s done. She did a good job.
    Elle: I can’t use these (large pink shells), they are super huge.
   Giacomo: What about these? (Giacomo points to smaller shells in the container).
    Elle: Maybe I can find a smaller one that fits.
   Giacomo: It’s like a puzzle.
   Elle: Do you like these (beads with an intricate design)? I like them. They look like china and I have a china dress.

As children worked on their mosaics today, they thought about the materials themselves.
    Maxon - These materials are beautiful.  You know you are done when you see no more brown (of the wood base).  I'm getting some cool materials.
     Reed - I'm thinking about buried treasure.  We have a lot of shells here.
     Maxon - Do you like mine?
     Reed - I like yours and mine.
    Maxon - Do you like the pink or red?
     Reed - I like the pink?
     Maxon - Okay, I'll get more pink. 

Although we used glue for collage as well, the process is different.  For example, in collage, materials can be layered when creating a design.  Children thought about size of materials as they started with a large leaf on a base.  They also explored the relationship among materials as they worked to place smaller materials on the collage.

Throughout the week, children have been using stencils, protractors, rulers, and other drawing tools.  Drawing freehand  can be challenging, but working with these tools produces predictable results.  Over time, these separate elements can be incorporated into other drawings and designs.  

Thank you so much to the family that donated this lovely jewelry. The children truly love the pieces. We have so many ideas for what we do do with them.

Lily: Can we sew with them?
Bea: Maybe we can make new jewelry with the pieces.
Jordan: How would you make new jewelry?
Bea: We could use wire!
Lily: Or sew new jewelry.

Before we create, however, we have to organize and investigate the jewelry. 

The changing of the seasons has always been interesting to KW. We took the opportunity to think more about it collaging with seasonal found materials. As we worked on our spatial awareness, pattern recognition and fine motor skills, We wondered about what makes something look like Fall and how could we tell.

One of Kw's newest interests is making animals out of paper. After making air planes previously, we wondered what other kinds of things we could make. That inspired us to look up some origami designs and learn how to make animals. This week, we used our fine motor, problem solving and focus to make penguins and dogs.

KW friends have been working on pattern recognition recently. Using a variety of different materials, we have designed intricate patterns and designs. Each of the children focused on design, repeating patterns, colors, matching and layout.

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.

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.  

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.
 

Meanwhile, Lochie