April 14, 2021

Tucker Room's Building secrets

From a distance, two members of Tucker Room were kind enough to show us how they made their model city and demonstrate some building tricks. Thank you so much for safely  coming by and teaching us about your work. We appreciated it.

Lucia: How did you put this on?
Palmer: Hot glue
Grace: Hot glue. You can burn yourself.
Grace: So we got a piece of cardboard and added that black piece something to hold and added glue.
Janie: Why did you paint it?
Palmer: It was green. Then if you did want it green, you could paint it.
Grace: Whose skyscraper is that?
Palmer: I dont know
Grace: That was Fletcher’s I think
Melanie R: Yea. It’s the Leaning Tower of Pizzia
Janie: Is this a car?
Palmer: Whats the Leaning Tower of Pizza
Sylvie: What kind of blocks are they?
Melanie R: Did you hear that good question from Sylie? 
Sylvie: What kind of blocks are they? Are they wooden blocks?
Grace: Yea
Palmer: They are the wooden blocks that me and Cannon used together.
Melanie R: We decided some of the wooden blocks would be cool to use.
Janie: Is this a window?
Melanie R: Oh! Good question.
Grace: I don’t know who made that
Janie: And and and this is...what is this?
Grace: Oh I don’t. Ada must have...it must have fallen off or something. Um, is it supposed to go there? I think but its Ada’s thing so I don’t know where this goes. But since it’s there, it might have been glued on there.
Melanie R: Well some of that glue isn’t hot glue, is it? What other types of glue did we use?
Palmer: We used moss glue.
Melanie R: You used what glue?
Grace: Yea we use this elmers glue.
Melanie R: Some elmers glue. What else did we use that starts with ‘m.’
Palmer: Melmer’s glue?
Jane: Elmer? Elmer’s glue?
Melanie O: Does it smell really strong?
Grace: Modge podge.
Palmer: Yea, I love that, too.
Melanie R: Yes. Modge podge. Also, do you remember what this was?
Palmer: A pond.
Janie. Hey! I can see a fishy and a ducky. I like ducks.
Lucia: I have a rubber duck in my toy bin.
Janie: I got a duck in my stuffie room.
Maxon: What is this?
Grace: Oh. Well we don’t know what these are but I think I know. I’m not sure what this is.
Melanie R: So when you use hot glue does it go right on immediately or do you sometimes have to hold it?
Everyone: You have to hold it.
Melanie: And do you count?
Lucia: I just hold it on the top part and so I won’t burn my fingers.
Melanie R: And Lucia, when you do it, how long do you wait? Do you hold it for 3 seconds or…
Lucia: No! I just drizzle it on, then I push it on, then it's on.
Melanie R: Ah!
Janie: Is this a house?
Grace: It’s Ada’s house.
Palmer: Ada made that. 
Grace: For Hop-Hop.
Palmer: Yea for Hop-Hop.
Jordan: What’s a Hop-Hop?
Palmer: That’s Ada’s bunny’s name!
Melanie O: Oh so it’s a house for a bunny?
Jordan: Is it a real bunny?
Grace: No, it’s just pretend.
Jordan: Oh, ok!
Palmer: It's a stuffed animal.
Grace: Yea, she used to bring it a lot.
Lucia: And I have two stuffed animals. One mama bunny that’s a big stuffy and one that is a little little bunny!
Melanie R: So what kind of advice do you guys have for the Rainey Room about building? Like if you wanted to tell them the best way to build.
Palmer: Criss Cross.
Melanie R: Oh Criss Cross. That’s a really good idea. Did you guys hear that? So how do you criss cross build?
Melanie O: Yes, Palmer. Tell us.
Palmer: You basically put a flat piece over two other same blocks.
Palmer crosses his arms in an “X”
Melanie R: Oh yea, the way you were showing with your arms.
Jordan. Is there any criss cross in these buildings?
Grace and Palmer: Ummmm….no.
Melanie O: Can you show us with these what criss cross is?
Hands multicolored thin, long blocks to Palmer.
Lucia: My mom knows how criss cross works. You go like this. One then the other.
Lucia demonstrates buildings matching parallel and perpendicular lines
Melanie O: Oh, those news ones are perpendicular, right?
Lucia: I can make a big one but mine fell down. And then I did it again. And then it stayed up.
Palmer continues builds, showing the discussed technique.
Melanie O: Do you see how Palmer is doing this? He called it criss cross.
Melanie R: So does this make it stable?
Melanie O: So you’re stacking the sticks. And each time you add a layer you change directions.
Jordan: What does “stable” mean?
Grace: It means-
Lucia: It means it's still.
Grace: Yea! So it doesn’t fall.
Palmer: Like my huge building that looked like a human.
Grace: I don’t want to break it so I’m going to put it away.
Melanie R: And the glue makes it even sturdier.
Palmer: Yea. If you glue the blocks together,
Grace: See how it didn’t fall.
Melanie R: We’ve been really interested in the things Rainey Room has been building. Like your paper mache. Looks amazing.
Janie: And we made a big treehouse.
Grace: It’s amazing!
Palmer: I see a tree in a treehouse.
Melanie O: So we can show you and friends can help me. So friends in Rainey Room, what’s this?
Melanie R: Oh. What is this?
Grace: The trunk?
Melanie O: Grace said it’s the trunk. Is she right?
Janie: Yes!
Melanie O: The trunk of what?
Rainey Room B: Palm tree!
Melanie R: A palm tree! That’s so nice.
Several Rainey Room students have begun emulating Palmer’s building style
Melanie R: Audrey already knows how to criss cross. She’s really good at that. Well, thank you so much for inviting us.
Jane: Look I can make it criss cross.
Melanie R: Is there anything else you wanted to know, it seems like you are already good builders.
All of Rainey Room has taken small blocks to learn Palmer’s new building style, seeing who can build the largest tower.
Jordan: Do you have any more questions or are we going to work on criss cross.
Melanie R: Ok friends, bye!
Everyone: Good bye!!!!
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