Preschool and Kindergarten Ateliers 9/26/06

Preschool

The avocado story

Little did we know when BM's mom brought in some avocados that we would begin an in-depth exploration of an avocado's many aspects! We took this opportunity to slow down and fully engage ourselves in the investigation of an object for an extended period of time.

After cutting open the avocado, the children noticed that there was no juice inside; they had been expecting that there would be. They also noticed that there was a seed. ”What should we do with the seed?” asked Ms. Iris. CH suggested that we bury it, so it would grow. After our meeting, we set up an experiment - one avocado seed was buried, while others were suspended in water. Of course, we need a small group to keep track of what's going on with the seeds, so a small group was formed to watch and draw what is happening to them.

That same day Ms. Iris also met with a small group to make guacamole. The children experienced the taste of the avocado, as well as how the avocado was transformed into another form.

What did we notice about the avocado's shapes, color, and texture? The children were asked about these features. They noticed the beautiful oval and circular shapes and the brilliant shades of greens, yellows, and browns. Some children began to look at the cracks and crevices of the seed and wondered how they were formed. To capture our thoughts, we chose to do paintings.

This exploration has helped us to begin to slow down and really investigate the things that are brought into our environment. A simple avocado has led to a long-term investigation about how we view things and form relationships with them.

This week we also continued building a relationship with clay in the three-year-olds class, while we explored painting in the four-year-olds class. The four-year-olds also began the process of making their self-portraits. I will share more about these activities next week.

Kindergarten

Ms. Hoddick's class:

This week in the atelier, the children continued tracing the four systems that we had selected. We also discussed adding color because it helps us to see what the different systems look like on top of the children's bodies. We had a conversation about what colors we should use and why. One group, which has just officially named itself the Atelier Blue Dolphins, decided that the nerve system should reflect colors that make you feel good, because it feels good when you touch something. They decided that to represent this they would use orange, red, and white on top of each other. We also discussed the materials they have been using and that not everything can color-transparency. Next week the children will continue to work on this project.

Ms. Hitomi's class:
This week the atelier became a laboratory for the scientists to concoct the organs that they had decided to make. Of course, they also had to be quiet because they didn't want the other class to know their secret recipes. Monday's group mixed up their recipes for the gall bladder, heart, stomach, brain, and lungs. Each recipe was carefully measured out and recorded so the children could keep track. Some of the children worked on the secret cards, drawing a picture of the organ and writing the recipe. One student suggested putting these in envolopes so that after the other class guessed what they had made, they could pull the answers out. The children then tried each concoction and decided whether they thought it felt like the organ it was supposed to be. Next week they will continue working on the recipe cards.