Blueprints & More!
February 27, 2015
Now that the children have familiarized
themselves with a variety of tools, materials, and their purposes, we have
started to put the tools to use! Throughout the first stage of our tool
project, children were encouraged to explore with a variety of tools and
materials including hammers, screwdrivers, a power drill, screws, and nails.
After reading the book “I Love TOOLS” by Philemon Sturges (which introduces
tools and demonstrates a birdhouse being built) many children decided they too
wanted to build a birdhouse. I wanted to support the growing interest of
building a specific structure, such as a birdhouse, but also wanted to
encourage the children to develop a plan before building, so I introduced
blueprints!
We first observed simple blueprints of
birdhouses and stairs (this also seemed to be an interest to some children) and
discussed what we noticed in the pictures. Once they became familiar with these
blueprints, I found real blueprints of our school! During this exploration
phase, we took 2 walking fieldtrips in our own school. At our first trip to the
library, we had the blueprint of our whole building (preschool, kindergarten,
science class, library, and gym). To my surprise most children were able to
point out the different rooms and were very interested in the labels and
measurements scattered throughout the blueprint! After our group observations
the children made their own “blueprint” of the library.
Daniel pointed to his drawing and said
“These are the bookshelves!”
Ethan and Daniel noticed that the shape of
the library was “A square!”
On our second walking fieldtrip we went to
the gym with the same school blueprints. As we looked over the blueprints this
time, we discussed what blueprints were used for.
Rosalie shared “It shows you how to build
something!”
Ace noticed “It’s like construction!”
Once we were done comparing the blueprints
to the gym and the rest of the building, the children were encouraged to make
their own blueprints of the gym. This initiated discussions on how many
basketball hoops there were, where the windows were, and the shape of the room.
Now that the children are familiar with the
purpose of a blueprint, the children are starting to create individual binders
of blueprints for things they would like to build.
My intention for introducing the blueprints
of the school to the children was for them to make connections between their
school and some of the preparation it took to build it. I also wanted to create
an activity to directly support the children in literacy development, as well
as, a way to strengthen their confidence in their work. We have also created a
schedule for children to have 1:1 time with a teacher to build a structure of
their choice! In doing so, the children are encouraged to refer to their
blueprint binder for the construction process. This gives children a concrete
experience to support and build their knowledge of construction. It also is a
way for them to understand the purpose of blueprints, establish spatial
awareness, and the planning process before construction. As they build using a
variety of tools they are encouraged to categorize by recognizing which tool
goes with a specific material. After they choose the tools and materials, many
times we measure and compare the nail, screw, or drill bit to see if it is long
or short enough for the intended job. The comparing, measuring, and
categorizing is an important step in the building process that supports
children in developing and strengthening their math skills.
Research states, “With growing evidence
about children’s math capacities in the early years and the significance of
early math experiences, there is a general consensus that “high-quality,
challenging and accessible mathematics education for three- to six-year-old
children is a vital foundation for future mathematics learning.”(California
Preschool Curriculum Framework, P. 232-3) -Stephanie
The Security Guard, A Visiting Expert
February 23, 2015
Throughout our hotel project,
the children have consistently mentioned their desire to keep their buildings
safe and protected, specifically from “bad guys”. Recently, Ian mentioned
security guards keeping his hotel safe and said, “There are police and security
guards. The security guards are everywhere! They bring out them bad guys when
the bad guys come.” A few days later, Zayna used a pipe cleaner to create a
“camera” to watch for bad guys. As we discussed her ideas about cameras, she
also decided to add security guards to her structure. She said, “These guys on
the roof watch up high and these guys on the floor guard the door.” The
discussions about security guards, cameras, and keeping buildings safe has been
ongoing and has engaged several of the children working in the block area. I
was surprised by the interest in security guards and cameras and had not originally
anticipated this as an area of focus when we started our hotel project. As a
result of this ongoing interest, we decided to invite a security guard to our
classroom so we could learn more about his job.
Andrea’s friend, Michael,
works as a local security guard and agreed to be a visiting expert for our
hotel project. I wondered how the children might continue to develop their
ideas about security guards and building safety if we invited a security guard
to visit our classroom. We started the process of exploring the topic of
security guards by asking the children what they know about security guards and
what they would like to know. The kids had a wide variety of ideas and
questions about security guards and were very excited about the opportunity to
meet a real security guard!
According to the book, Young
Investigators, “Projects provide contexts in which children’s curiosity can be
expressed purposefully, and that enable them to experience the joy of
self-motivated learning. Teachers do not always know what direction a project
will take or what aspects of a topic will interest a particular group.
Well-developed projects engage children’s minds and emotions and become
adventures that teachers and children embark on together. Projects also involve
the child in making decisions about topic selection, investigation, and how to
culminate the project. There are many valuable learning experiences that can
and do occur at all points along the continuum. Teachers who use the project
approach often also teach single concepts and employ units, themes, and
directed inquiry.”
My intention with inviting
Michael to visit our class was to highlight the children’s interest in security
guards and provide them with an authentic opportunity to ask questions and describe
their experiences. Having a real security guard visit the class allowed the
children to deepen their understanding about the profession and prompted more
questions for investigation! I’m curious to see how the visit will impact the
children’s structures and whether or not it will spawn new discussions about
their buildings.
As our project evolves, we will continue to look
for ways to honor the children’s ideas while deepening their understanding
about hotels and other structures. Lately there have been discussions about
elevators, stairs, bedrooms, and multi-floor buildings. We will see where the
children lead us! -Rachelle
Constructing Hotels
February 2015
February 2015
The block area is always full
of opportunities to build, explore and work collaboratively with other children
and teachers. Recently, while building in the block area, Daisy decided to use
a cardboard box to create a structure. She soon discovered that if she put a
flashlight inside the box, it would illuminate the space! I asked her about her
discovery and inquired about what she was working on. She exclaimed, “It’s a
Mexican Hotel!” She went on to inform me that she would be staying at a hotel
in Mexico soon. Ian, Matthew, and Gabriel were also very interested in her
structure and requested flashlights to explore other boxes. Daisy’s construction
of a cardboard box hotel lead to our entire group’s exploration of hotels and
other large buildings!
Initially, I wondered what
the children found interesting about hotels. Ian was immediately interested in
building his own hotel and described his previous experiences at hotels. He had
so many interesting ideas and insights about hotels! Initially he was very
focused on the people that work in hotels (specifically security guards). Other
children were focused on the actual structure of a hotel and the fact that many
hotels have multiple floors with elevators. Some children started building
hotel structures with flashlights inside, along with beds made out of carpet
squares and felt. We continued to provide a variety of materials for the
children to add to their structures and observed how and why they used the materials.
Research supports the
child-directed approach to learning and highlights how this approach reinforces
reading skills, language development and math skills. The book, Young
Investigators, states: “The benefits of children’s
having substantial control over the work undertaken extend beyond the early
years. Marcon (1992, 1995, 2002) found that children from preschool classes
that offered ample opportunity for child-initiated, as opposed to
teacher-directed, activity showed the greatest mastery of basic reading,
language, and mathematics skills. At fourth grade, children who had experienced
self-initiated learning also had higher overall grade-point averages and
higher grade-point averages
in most individual subject matter areas. Boys especially may fare better in
school in the long run when they have experienced a preschool that emphasizes
self-initiated learning.”
We will continue to follow
the children’s lead and are planning a walking field trip to the Park Merced
Apartment Complex, We are hoping that the children will explore this structure
and it will spark new ideas about hotels and other multi-level structures.
My intention with this activity
is to explore what the children already know about hotels and to encourage them
to build with a variety of materials (boxes, tape, flashlights, etc.) to
represent their previous experiences with hotels. As our project progresses, I
anticipate the children expanding their understanding of hotels and other
structures and adding to their structures. -Rachelle
“Collaborative
Painting” with Marie Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Painting, drawing, and other forms of
art are always encouraged in our classroom. Our intention for art in the
classroom is that children will be able to express their ideas, creatively
explain how they view their world, and build self-esteem by physically
producing a piece of artwork. Typically, the children paint or draw pictures
independently, but this week the children worked together to create something.
On Wednesday, Daisy’s Mom, Marie, was able to
share her artistic ability with the children. We set up a table for painting in
the corner of our class. Marie brought one large canvas, several colors of
acrylic paint, two palettes, and many sizes of paintbrushes to choose from. Marie
explained that we would have to respect each other’s space on the canvas, but
we would also be painting together. She explained this as “collaborative
painting.” Her intention for painting together on the canvas was for the
children would be able to cooperate with each other, learn to be able to share
space! She also encouraged the children to explore what the acrylic paint felt
like, and what would happen to the consistency of the paint when adding water
to it.
The first group of children included: Toby, Ethan,
Daniel, and Sofia. They each had their own corner to paint on. Marie started
painting on the canvas too, but also invited the children sitting around her to
collaborate with her, choosing whatever they wanted to add on her painting.
Toby was the first to volunteer to paint with her:
Toby: I added some white to your painting!
Marie: Wow, I like the colors you chose. Thank you
for collaborating with me!
Toby: You’re welcome.
Toby: You’re welcome.
Teacher
Andrea was also sitting at the table with the children. She asked Ethan if she
could paint with him:
Teacher Andrea: Can I collaborate with you too,
Ethan?
Ethan: Yes.
Ethan: Yes.
When
it was time to switch spots for others to have a turn, the children invited
them to add and paint on their spots! Daniel noticed that Charlotte was waiting
to have a turn:
Daniel: Charlotte, you can have my spot! I used
different colors. (Pointing to his place on the canvas) You can paint here!
Toby
left the table to play in another area, but returned to look at what another
child, Malena, had added to his space:
Toby: Wow! That looks great!
Working together on their art encouraged
children to communicate with each other, instead of focusing on the end result.
We also observed through this activity that when given the opportunity, children
are willing to share, take turns, and affirm each other using their words all
on their own.
Carolyn R. Tomlin, a public school
kindergarten and early childhood education teacher, talks about the importance
of art in the classroom:
“When children see ‘art’ as ‘play’ they move in the same parallel direction… In adjacent play or social coaction preschoolers may play or work near others but seldom come in contact. Children may sit near others, yet work on their own project. In associative play, they may borrow or lend clay to a child nearby. Then, there is the higher form of play known as cooperative play. In this form children really share ideas and work together on a project. Perhaps they make a collage from clay, use all the pieces to make a road, or create a design with everyone involved.”
“When children see ‘art’ as ‘play’ they move in the same parallel direction… In adjacent play or social coaction preschoolers may play or work near others but seldom come in contact. Children may sit near others, yet work on their own project. In associative play, they may borrow or lend clay to a child nearby. Then, there is the higher form of play known as cooperative play. In this form children really share ideas and work together on a project. Perhaps they make a collage from clay, use all the pieces to make a road, or create a design with everyone involved.”
References
Tomlin, C. (2008, January 1).
Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center. Retrieved February 9, 2015, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=544
Parten, M (1932). Social participation
among preschool children. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 28 (3):
136–147
-Andrea