Experimentation
During the past two weeks we have seen children engaged in experimentation using a variety of mediums. In working with the intricate marble run pieces, we have seen persistence and trial and error as children experiment with balance and fitting pieces together. We have also observed children making predictions and offering help to friends.
I was going to see what’s going to happen when all the marbles come out at the same time! Chris
Amelia concentrates on building a stair like structure that is balanced on both sides. Then she uses the marbles to see which direction they follow. If the marbles get stuck she rearranges pieces. Will is interested in building a vertical structure and wants the balls to go directly down. After some trial and error, and a suggestion from Alex, Will finds a solution. I need only the ones with a hole in the middle, can I have more of those? Will is thrilled as the balls travel from the top to the very bottom!
Noticing how Amelia balances her pieces, Alex tries a similar approach, but getting the balls to run smoothly through the run is challenging. The following week Alex is determined to build a fast marble run. He works vertically, choosing only pieces with holes in the center, and puts many marbles down continuously. The noise and excitement attract other children who want to try out his invention. It’s like a machine! They’re going so fast!
Experimenting with Snow, Ice and Water
We brought trays of icy snow into the room, and used droppers and water to explore what would happen with the snow.
Studio Yellow left their ice chunks and drills for us to explore. On Friday, we added coarse salt and water color for further explorations.
If we drill a hole then the red will explode, like a volcano! –Kaya Oh some red! That is a volcano! Yeah! –Wesley It’s using its producers. When it goes with another color it will make a stream of a different color. – Thomas
Color Experimentation
We used sponges, sharpie pens and watercolor to experiment with color and design. More watercolor techniques will be up and coming!
