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.

3D Robots

A little while ago H expressed his interest in robots. Today I asked him if he would like to create another robot using recyclable materials. Indeed he did. We worked with wood glue and duct tape to create this masterpiece:

After he drew a representation in his journal and told me about it:

"It has a weapon. It can go to a planet."


While H was creating his robot M decided to make one too:
Journal:

M had this to say:


First the white thing's under the robot. Then the arms are over here so he can wave. The circles are so in case the robot falls. And he can talk a lot and he has a helmet too. And then it has two eyes. And there is  the part of his body. And that's his neck. And this is his head and this is his chin. And that's all. 


C wanted to create a robot too, but she chose to add objects to paper, perhaps because she created her journal first, then created her robot or because we glued to paper previously:

C said hers was a robot girl with hair and buttons. 


The end! 

a store for monster food- a construction & journal

This summer our campus has been under a lot of construction. One day on the way into work I saw some electricians sitting on empty spools of wire. I convinced my coworker Taryn to ask them if they were going to throw them away and if we could please have them if so (I'm too chicken to talk to strangers- I desperately want to ask the laborers for some tidbits as well but I'm too scared!). 

Anyway, the next day the following showed up on our doorstep:

Recently we added them to our atrium. The children stacked them and added empty raisin, cottage cheese and other empty containers to the ledges. This is the result:

T had this to say about her structure:

Mine is big. A monster built it for another monster. It's a store for monster food. It costs 60 or 70 or 80 dollars. Monsters like to eat bugs. Monster bugs. 

C said this is what the monsters look like:

To be continued! 

New year, new journals!

One of my goals this year is to inspire the children to draw and write in the journals on a daily basis. I don't really want it to be "ok everyone sit down and journal what I tell you" kind of thing although sometimes I may do this.

Mostly, I'm hoping to use them as the children build or create or tell stories in as a natural part of their day. To do this I'm trying to find a special location for their journals that they can have quick easy access to on a moments notice. They do have cubbies but as winter approaches cubbies are stuffed with backpacks, coats, hats mittens and other miscellaneous items that I'm afraid they will be damaged. I was hoping to find paper trays at the thrift store this summer because at several dollars a piece, the price adds up quickly.

In the mean time while I sort out this problem, I have taken the children's photos and had them printed and laminated to serve as the cover of their journals. To begin I asked them to draw a picture of themselves to serve as a base for other self portraits later this year. Here is a sample:

When I asked M, who is four, to tell me about her drawing she said, "My hair, my fingers, my feet, my hands, my teeth, my eyelashes, my tummy, my arms, and my legs, and that's it!"

The end!