Ships and boats, boats and ships!

Since early in the school year, the block environment has been home to the fantastical building of ships. Children have constructed these vessels, drawing on their depth of knowledge and engaging their imaginations. This work is both individual and within small groups. In response to their efforts we have added a variety of loose parts to the space, projected images of real ships and supplied non fiction and fictional books for the children to continue researching.

"I'm making a boat and an island with rocks."
Avery
"It's a boat. Not just directions. It's cold outside. We put a vent (barcode) there so they would warm up quickly. Maybe the hot tub should go next to the pool."
Violet comments on the boat she created with Elliott and Parker.
"It's a row boat. A row boat, you can row it. It has a ladder so if someone wanted to go out of the water or get into the water. This saves people."
Helen
Lighthouse with rocks.
Helen, Parker and Sofia
"I'm making a submarine faster than the speed of light! And it goes deeper than 2000 pounds!"
Callen and Nico
A ginormous ship.
Josef, Nico, Elliott and Callen.
Marky and Callen's ship
"It's actually eight ships!"
Marky
"Should we build this one?"
Callen invites his classmates to research different kinds of ships.
When the ship building began, the boats traveled on top of wooden pathways through the classroom.
Smaller boats positioned along the edge of a larger ship.
"I just asked Josef if he wanted to build a ship together and he said yes!"
Callen
Marky demonstrates how blocks stacked on this boat can unfold to create a pathway for people.
A double sided boat with two windshields that can move in either direction.
A small group works to build one lighthouse together.

These vessels move.  They make their way across the carpet and then travel well beyond!  They navigate the landscape of the studio, maneuvering around and through furniture, accidental paint splots and bystanders.  They facilitate connection with others as they deliver necessary items,  find lost objects or simply say, “Hello!”  They are powerful and have a strong presence within our space.

In play, children are learning content and as well as process. They are learning all about ships, extending and challenging their own understandings of boats and the settings in which they reside. They are also learning all about what it means to do research in collaboration with others. They are learning about their own learning process. What do I already know? How do I share my ideas with others? How do I disagree with or add onto someone's idea? How do I share the tools and materials we are using to communicate our thinking?