September 09th, 2022

What is happening next to our outdoor classroom?

As we walked out to the outdoor classroom on Friday morning, the children immediately heard loud noises coming from behind the fence. In order to further investigate, Hugh and Wilder climbed up the rope ladder. They quickly informed their friends of their observations:

They’re cutting it down (pointing to the top of the tree). - Wilder
The saw must be a big gigantic saw connected to the thing... (pointing to the crane) - Hugh
To the tree to cut things of. -  Michael 
This is my first time seeing someone cutting a tree. Did you see that? It fell down in a terrific speed. We heard it crack. - Wilder 

Michael, Jade, Cape and Luke were curious as well and joined Hugh and Wilder on the structure to observe the work that was going on in the alley behind our outdoor classroom.

Sharing ideas about possible reasons:
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They’re turning trees into paper. - Hugh

That’s bad. Cutting down trees because trees help us live. They provide us food and water. - Finlay
 
They’re cutting trees to make books. They put it in a machine. Or they’re making mulch. - Jade 

After multiple branches were cut down by the workers using chain saws, we noticed the usage of a different machine in the alley way - a wood chipper. ​

I can see the leaves coming out of the orange thing. - Cate

What is it shooting out? It’s probable the things that come from the orange thing. The thing that they cut off and then it shoots out. And now it’s brown. Maybe the orange vehicle it’s a shoot vehicle. You see how every place they go to they cut trees. That’s what they do. - Michael
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Those men are very strong (impressed by the workers picking up large branches to feed into the wood chipper). - Wilder

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The children noticed saw dust gently flying through the air in the cutting process. We were so lucky that some even landed in our outdoor classroom!

Snow! It's everywhere! - Cape
It’s tree bark. - Hugh
It’s little splinters. - Wilder 
You should put your heads down so the dust doesn’t get in your eye. - Cape 

Cape's observation and advice started a conversation about safety: 
How can we tell that the workers are being safe?​

​They have ropes. - Cape
They have ropes that hold the tree so they don't just fall down. - Hugh
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They are wearing safe clothes. They’re wearing a helmet to protect their heads. - Wilder 

While  the children observed the process they shared their feelings and memories about similar events with each other.

This is the coolest thing! - Luke
​I have seen it at Georgetown universary. - Jade
Last time Kian cut a Christmas tree. When my dad went, Kian did it. He used a cutter thing just like him. - Michael
A chainsaw. My dad has one too. His job is to cut down trees in our backyard.  We have like 1000 trees in our backyard. - Wilder

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​As we continue our material collection project, we keep exploring the Tucker Closet, which is adjacent to our room and serves as a material storage place for all the classrooms. Here we often look for additional materials that can support and further inspire our work and process. Luke, Michael and Finlay shared their (material) discoveries with each other and created their material projects together in a small group setting. 

It is really cool! There's lots of cool stuff in it. Cool bottles. - Finlay
Like really creepy things. Like ghosts things we like, like spiders (referencing small plastic spiders). And really cool shapes. I want to stroll around. - Luke
The base (for his material project) should be flat and huge. I'm taking my time because I really want to find a good base. - Finlay, carefully looking around Tucker Closet and the material shelf in our lovie area


What kind of materials can we find in the Tucker Closet?
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Hammers (wooden mallet)
Letters
Punchers (hole punshers)
Dice
Stars
Trays
Magnifying glasses
Ovals
​Blocks
​- Michael

Crayons
Little jars
Scissors 
Paint 
Buttons
(artificial) Spiders
Puzzle pieces
​Gems
  - Luke

Foam blocks
Rubber bands
Cardboard
Foam (Styrofoam)
Bottles
Shapes
Keys
- Finlay

Luke's material project

I like these things. And this is Grace's (referencing his sister, pointing to the painted wooden figure) and so I bringed it for me. They are so shiny (necklace and pompoms). - Luke

Luke chose a carpet sample for his base and after unsuccessfully testing out multiple adhesives (white and clear liquid glue and glue sticks) he tired a new tool, the hot glue gun.  "I don't need to push it down long. Just like that." - Luke, referring to the hot glue hardening quickly

Michael's material project

I like race cars because one of them are silly one. And this is a shoe with wheels. Mario, you're so silly! - Michael brought his favorite cars from home, but decided against attaching them to his collage so he could continue to use and move them. 
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I got special things. I got key just like Finlay. I call it a maze. You have to hop here and jump here, here, here and then you got the trophy. In the end. So you can bring it home. Mine is the coolest one. - Michael, hopping his finger from one piece to the next

Finlay's material project

I brought these because they look ancient. It means like really old like this key. I have things that are 100 years old. They look old. I made these to look ancient. I just brought them everywhere but make sure to not loose them. And I just made them dirty. - Finlay,  sharing his inspiration for choosing his home materials. 

I call mine "the fight of can't find". Everyone is trying to find the gold (piece of jewelry on the left). But if both people find it they fight. This is of the black spider's home base (pointing to photo negative). Like it's where you live. It (his collage) spins and if you're purple there's another trap. the key is the only thing that can unlock the treasure chest. The treasure is in the treasure chest. - Finlay