Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Clay Creations for Small World

Many children were eager to start the new year in small world.  We have added miniature things to make the environments and story lines developed her more complex.  Today, children began work on clay items that will eventually make their way to the small world materials.  The teachers proposed that children make furniture for the creatures.   Children brought their own ideas to the experience.  Perhaps inspired by Hugh's interest in Formula One, Hugh, Cate,  and Cape made race cars.  Wilder made a tiny "paddock" for a tiny zebra.   

Math concepts were evident throughout the process.  Children used various strategies to measure their item so it would work with the animal they selected.  Children also worked with equivalence as the legs on the beds or the wheels on a race car needed to be the same length in order to support the clay creation.  
Yesterday, the Tucker children were the first to volunteer to work with clay.  Next week, Rainey children will take a turn with clay.

Conversations: A Closer Look

Yesterday, Cate noticed that the hallway bulletin board was dedicated to Small World.  We hope you have had a chance to look at it as well.  
Teachers take the completed conversations and review them together to identify the big ideas.  We often talk about the collaborative nature of Small World.  Therefore, we were struck by Luke's comment, "In small world, we don't have to listen to a friend.  You can start with your own thing."
This is true!  Often when working on a big building, children have to agree to work on one thing.  Small world often begins with several individual homes or environments.  From there, the children often collaborate on a play scenario and share knowledge as they develop their story.  In this way, small world encompasses both individual ideas and cooperation with friends. 

Wonderful, Wintery Work!

Wintery Watercolors

Actually, this experience started with watercolors, but became a multi-media process as children collaged on top of the watercolor paintings. 
​   Remy - I'm making it really shiny. 
   Finlay - It's like paint, collage, paint, collage.
   Wilder - Until you're done.
   Mimi - I'm trying to make it very shiny.
   Bailee - After I make this one, I'm going to make another one because I love painting so much.  I'm making a sunset.
​    Mimi - You glue the little pom poms, like snow is falling.
    Bailee - I'm getting good at this.  I'm doing all the buttons (for the collage).
    Cate - I'm making a shimmery one.

Light Table Winter Wonderland

The children made tiny structures and developed stories with the materials on the light table.  Most of the scenarios involved a snowman figure and some silvery fish.  

Today we added a second light table with paper geometric shapes that can be used for building.  Lucas carefully built a home for himself, Zoe, and his mom and dad.