December 01st, 2020

Pod A
Multicolored Papermaking

This morning at meeting, we proposed a new kind of papermaking to the children which would allow us to drop liquid watercolors onto the paper pulp and dye the fibers any color of the rainbow.  Maren saw the range of colors and made a great point: "If you mix all those colors it will turn brown."  This observation is informative and could help us in future conversations about color mixing.
The children were enticed by the process of blending the recycled paper bits, and Maren and Dakota were excited to be part of the first group since they haven't made paper yet this year.  Dakota saw the gloopy texture of the white pulp as it came out of the blender and said, "That's slobbery!"
Each child used eyedroppers to select and place the colors of their choice, and patiently squeezed out the extra moisture from the pulp.  Fletcher tilted his mould (rectangle sieve device) back and forth to allow the orange pigment to slide around.  Fletcher said, "It's like fruit punch in the juice box!"  
​Grace made two papers with distinct patterns of colors.  Dakota said to her, "I like what you're making.  I like the stripes." As Grace continued working she said "This one's gonna be tie dye, like dots."  She tilted the colors to slide the pigment, saying, "Now I'm gonna make it travel around the world..."

This process can require a lot of patience and each child did some really beautiful and efficient work.  Even flipping over the mould  onto the towel can be tricky!

All of our papers are resting on a towel and should be dry within 48 hours.  We love the effect of the blending colors!

Construction: The "Animal Zoo"
Today and yesterday, Oliver spearheaded a collaborative building project he calls the "animal zoo."  He's enlisted the help of Dakota, Andy, Fletcher, and Aida to create "nests" and "cages" for the animals.  As the narrative developed, the animals were given some delicious food to eat (acorns, rocks, and corks).  Fletcher used a tube to add water in case the animals were thirsty.  Aida got a small basket and said, "Do you think this should be where the babies go?  Look at this cutie baby."  

A Wintery Conversation 🌨 ❄️
During Morning Meeting we were discussing how today is the first day of December and that triggered an interesting and insightful conversation:

Aida: Did you know that this is the first day when we were getting out of the car we could see the frosty air?
Brooke: I noticed that when I was riding my bike to school! That I could see my breath!
Oliver: If it’s very cold that would be winter.
Andy: Like minus one.
Dakota: Did you know the ice is water?
Maren: When the ice melts it comes to water.
Dakota: They’res water puddles from the snow that melted.
Grace: Do you know where the water comes from? It comes from the clouds.
Oliver: Well snow comes from clouds and that’s what ice turns into water.
Brooke: How does it get into the clouds?
Grace: God has a whole ‘nother world up there and then he pours it on the clouds and the clouds rain it.
Oliver: God has a world in the air and he has a castle that he lives and it floats in the sky. It’s on bricks and it flies for real life.
Grace: Does it make water?
Oliver: He has all kinds of powers. Like when he cries it rains.
Melanie: Let’s hear from some other people. Fletcher, do you think water comes from God?
Fletcher: No.
Melanie: Where does rain come from?
Fletcher: Water.  I heard from Story Bots. So little tiny droplets go to the sky and then it rains.
Brooke: How do they go up into the sky?
Fletcher: They float.
Melanie: How does the rain turn into snow?
Maren: I think the rain comes from the sky.
Melanie: But how does it turn into snow?
Oliver: Because winter makes it.
Andy: Because it was so cold and the wind is on the sky and it made to snow.
Grace: Cause it’s so cold in the sky and then water turns into ice but the water is supposed to come down as rain but it turns into ice and then it gets covered in clouds but if there was no clouds up in the sky it would just be falling ice cubes.
Aida: Did you know that I think rain comes from clouds.
Brooke: How do you think it gets into the clouds Aida?
Aida: I think the rain climbs a ladder. (big smile and a giggle)
Grace: Or it catches it. The clouds. The clouds catch the water and then it makes into rain.
​

Pod B

It was such a gorgeous day outside!

Building with Paper

Before we came upstairs, Rachel and Jill mentioned that we wouldn’t be building with blocks today.   Some children expressed concern, but were willing to see what they could use instead.   
​

Walking into the room…..
    Palmer - It’s cardboard.
    (Again some children begin to express their doubts and lobby for other materials)
    Gigi - I see egg cartons.   I’ve done this before, it’s a lot of fun.
    Palmer - And paper. Lot’s of paper.
    
At meeting….
     Jill - What do you know about paper?
     Palmer - You can bend it.
     Gigi - You can twist it.  
     Palmer - Rolling.
     Lane - Are we going to build with it?
     Jill - Yes. 
     Nora - You can write on paper.
     Palmer - Write messages.
     Lane - Draw on it.
     Gigi - I like to paint on it.
     Nora - Me too!
     Palmer - Gluing.
     Gigi - I can make capes and clothes for my stuffies with paper.


Before children could build, they had time to explore and manipulate the material.  
     Nora - I can fold it.
     Gigi - (After folding paper) It’s a triangle and it’s boingy.
     (Lane works to accordion fold the paper.) 
     Lane - Gigi, you should try this.  It’s just folding.  (upon completing her folding) You’re right, it is like an accordion.
.    Gigi - (With her folded paper)  This is a really strange thing.  It looks like a seat.  A seat for humans.  
     Lane - (With floppy strips of paper)  They’re kind of like octopus arms.  
     Gigi - What do you think this is?  I kind of think it’s a mouth.  A crocodile’s mouth.
     Lane - (With her own folding)  It’s like a taco.  It’s the most perfect one.  These will be fun to build with these.  
    Nora - I’m trying to figure out how to fold because I Don’t know how to fold laundry yet.
    Lane - (Working out what she needs to make bigger tube)  Bigger paper and bigger one (rod).  It’ll be a telescope.
     Gigi - (With her folded paper) it looks like a 7.
     Palmer - (After taping a roll together)  I made this.  It’s sort of like a train track.
   Lane - Okay, I’m going to make a fan now.  (After working for a bit)   I made a heart.  All you have to do is make two balloons and then tape it together.  
    Palmer - Man, I’m really good at this (rolling paper).
    Nora - I made a rainbow swirl.
    Lane - I’m attaching (paper) sculptures.  I’m making a mega sculpture.  It’s a fan.
    Palmer - Look, it’s a raindrop.


We had so much fun working with paper, that we ran out of time to build with it.   At the end of the day we reflected on what or how we might build tomorrow.
     Lane - We can take cardboard and stand up big pieces.
     Gigi - We could build a boat.  Start with a short, straight piece and then a seal and then a bottom.
     Palmer - I think that would be more like sculpture than building.
     Jill - Can sculpture be the same as building?  Can you build a sculpture?
     Gigi - Yes, anything can be built.
     Cannon - Ice sculptures can’t be built.   
     Palmer - Building is only with blocks.
     Lane - You can also build with other things.
     Nora - I think we can build a panda center (referring to a favorite construction theme from out Pod A days).