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Showing posts from September, 2013

Bones

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As you know we have been talking about lines and connection in the preschool. In one of our morning meetings Titus pointed out that bones are connected. We also realized that most bones are also lines. We put X-rays of bones on our light table and our overhead projector so we could take a closer look. We traced the bone of our choice using the light table. This was a great way to really examine individual  bones while practicing our fine motor/pre-writing skills. The bones were huge on our overhead projector!  This activity was a great way to spark more interest in bones. "What are bones made out of ?", "Why do we have them?","How many do we have?" We talked about which bones matched to what part of our bodies and noticed that they felt hard. We asked the question, "What would it be like if we had no bones? Arlo told us, "We would be all floppy". We all agreed bones are a very good thing to have!

Making Connections

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We have been talking about the various ways we are connected by exploring things we have in common. We all have names, friends and families.  Connection is a great theme because it provides so many opportunities for further investigation into various subjects and interests. We made compositions of our names out of loose materials. Everyone has a name! We all have faces too! The children drew portraits of their faces on black paper with pastels. We revisited the concept of lines and realized we can make them connect. We connected chalk lines on our playground. After reading the book "The Invisible String" we asked how can we make an invisible string visible? Using a color resist technique we discovered that paint will not stick to oil pastels. Now we can see our invisible string! We also made friendship paintings and found ways to connect them. We are excited to see where the concept of connections takes us. Please remember, if you are able

Line structure

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Not all lines are created equal. Some lines are skinny, fat, curvy or straight. And some lines dont even need to be on paper. We set out a provocation of a skein of yarn hanging from above our block area with strands draped over our play stands. The class did the rest. We focused on making sure the strands were connected to either a play stand or another string of yarn in some way. This created opportunity to see how connecting the lines made the structure stronger and more secure. It also let them see how they were manipulating the shape of the roof by pulling yarn in different directions.  The result was a 3-d representation of line art. Another 3d work we explored was a mobile. We discussed how a "strand" of beads is a representation of a line the same way that a string of yarn is ( or even a row of children waiting to go outside and play!) .  We foraged for sticks outside that looked like straight lines.  We then used various materials to decorat

Lines

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As a class we are discovering that lines play a role in every image we draw and see. They are the way we create shapes and curves. They are the basis of symbols and the foundation for many structures. We asked the question, how can we make lines on our paper without markers or crayons? Some decided to crumble or fold their paper. Others decided to cut. Some used rulers to help create lines on paper while others explored lines in different mediums. What can we use to transform lines into new and interesting works? Are lines only on paper? How else can we create lines?