We’re still busy following paths, roads, trails, and sidewalks in Studio Purple. When Julia was missing from class one day a few weeks back, we told the children that she had taken a trip to New York City and Pennsylvania. The children wondered where Pennsylvania was, but they weren’t sure how we might find this out. Then, this past week, Miles traveled to Virginia and the children wondered once again. Where is Pennsylvania? Where is Virginia? How would we find out where these places are? During our whole class meeting on Monday, the children shared their thinking…
“I needed to go on one highway and watch 2 movies. My mom just drove on the right highway. She used her phone and that showed her how to go.” JULIA
“A map! My mom has a map on her phone!” CHARLIE S.
“Charlie S. is right!” JULIA
As our whole class discussion started losing steam, Case, Charlie N., & Charlie S. decided to break away and continue this thinking in a small group in the mapping area of our studio. The group wondered how we could figure out where Virginia is…
“I don’t know.” CHARLIE S.
“The maps right here!” CASE
“This!” (pulling out the laminated maps on the shelf) CHARLIE S.
“Yeah, let’s check out this.” CASE
“This is the sculpture park.” CASE & CHARLIE N.
After some discussion about highways and the sculpture park, the children decide they don’t need the sculpture park maps to find Virginia, but they’re still not sure.
“Let’s look at this one!” CASE
“Virginia! We found it! Virginia! Virginia! On these two pages!” CASE
“Virginia.” CHARLIE S.
“Virginia! We found Virginia!” CASE
“There’s a mountain. Right here.” CASE
“Where’s this?” (pointing to green on the map of Virginia) CHARLIE N.
The children then find a map in the same book of the US. We talk about how this is a map of all of the states.
“Just read all the states.” CASE
“Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia”
“Virginia!” CASE
We talk about drawing a map from Lincoln to Virginia.
“Oh, I’m not good at drawing. Painting! I’m good at painting!” CASE
“And I can draw!” CHARLIE N.
Charlie N. decides to bring the map book over to the drawing table in order to help her draw her map from Lincoln to Virginia.
