angry birds

This project started when M and H were going to visit one another after school. They told me that they were going to play Angry Birds. In the block area, M began create structures adorned with pigs represented by cups or plastic flowers (from our collection of loose parts). Many children came to check it out and talk about their experience with Angry Birds.

While they were building I discreetly set their journals beside them in hopes they would draw. They got the message. 

As they proceeded they talked about what level they were building. 



M: "I'm making an Angry Birds game. Mine is level 100."
H: "This is level 45. The green thing is a pig."
Ms. Erin: How is level 1 different from level 100?"
H: "Because it's hard."
V:This level has tons of pigs. It's level 155. 
H: I don't know that level. My dad on his phone can finish that level. But I can only play on the weekends. It's really complicated.

skyscrapers, in another "language"-

The children are constantly constructing skyscrapers in the block area, with blocks, Legos, and anything at all that is stackable. 

They frequently talk about the Willis Tower and tend to refer to a coffee table book depicting many of the skyscrapers along the Chicago skyline while they play.

Recently I discovered that these white, cube-shaped boxes were being recycled by our cooking staff. Of course I snatched them up to use as loose parts and asked if we would be getting more. In fact, we would, every Monday be getting 10 new boxes so every Monday afternoon I stalked Mr. Paul, our cook, to make sure they didn't get thrown out. Currently we have a set of 45...

So the children have been enjoying stacking (and demolishing) their "skyscrapers" formulating and reformulating their structures every day. 

Pretty soon I am going to have to figure out a new location for these boxes as they will be taking over our classroom soon! 

In the block area today

The children made some thoughtful structures today and I just had to share. 


One child made a ramp using a piece of gutter and a card board tube. He said, "The ball goes on the top of the ramp. Then it rolls down through the tube. 

 

Another child used blocks to create a channel. Then he lined up several balls in a row and used a cylinder to hit the balls down the channel. He said, "The balls go over there."

Marvelous, children! 

light and shadow study in the block area

I took our projector out of the light studio and set it up in the block area for a change of pace. 

The children went to town, literally! Buildings, and towers and castles went up right away, though they had to work on getting out of the way of the projector light to see their structures and figure out the best distance away from the projector to put their work.

They were moving so fast I didn't get a chance to document their words. Although I do remember lots of gasps of, "It's beautiful." I also remember someone calling the rainbow blocks "reflection blocks."

How to make a 'building block'

'How to make a building block' was a cooperation between two students. "L", a 4 year-old boy from the afternoon class created instructions for "M", a 3-year-old boy from the morning class. I worked with a team that included teachers and the studio coordinator to help me design this experience.

-

L and M were two boys who were very interested in the block area. As a challenge, I asked L if he would like to design a structure for someone in the morning class. L agreed. We went next door to an empty classroom to a corner where blocks of various sizes were located. L built a structure he dubbed a 'Building Block.'

Above is a photo of L drawing a picture of his structure

Here is his drawing of the Building Block:

After L finished, I challenged him to give M instructions on how to build the Building Block. It was a time-consuming process. I pretended I was M and L had to tell me how to build it step-by-step. We started by gathering the materials we needed, and then he told me what to do.

Photo of the materials minus the little triangle, which he added later.

When his instructions were too vague I deliberately built it incorrectly so he would have to rethink and revise his instructions. It sometimes took up to 5 tries before we were both satisfied with the final instructions.

Below are L's final instructions for M which I typed up for a parent presentation:

Later, M created L's Building Block relying heavily on the drawing. When it still proved too difficult for M, I showed him the photos I took of L's structure.

 Below is a photo of the documentation board we created to make their experience visible; it includes photos of M following L's instructions:

Next I asked M if he would like to reciprocate, and build something for L. He chose to build a 'Kitchen'. I photographed M building his structure step-by-step since verbalizing instructions had become too frustrating for him.

Here is a photo of M drawing a picture of his Kitchen for L.  

and here is Ms drawing of his Kitchen:

L then built M's kitchen based on the photos.

 _

This project was one of the first Reggio-Inspired projects I did with the children. I lost photos, words, and pictures over time. I now know to keep photocopies of the children's work and their words in safe places so I can tell a more complete story.

The end!