Children looked very closely at their houses, noticing a variety of two-dimensional shapes. Using clear transparency paper, we outlined windows, doors and roofs and found triangles, rectangles, squares and even semi-circles. Next, children used photos of their houses to do a “look-draw” sketch in their idea books.
Listen to Kacie talk about the shapes she noticed on her house. kacie-shapes-in-my-house
Children have been looking at homes in the neighborhood and identifying the various shapes that make up their own house. Students began by drawing a picture of their home in pastel and watercolour, and practiced reciting their address. Next, we took digital pictures of children’s houses in the community, and they used digital tools to identify and trace shapes such as rectangles, triangles, squares and circles.
Red, yellow and blue fingerpaint. White glossy paper. An invitation to explore brightly coloured paint with bare hands and fingers. As children tiptoed with their fingertips through red, yellow and blue, they beamed with excitement as new colours emerged. We experimented by adding textures, “drawing” in the paint, practicing our numbers and letters.
Children then had the opportunity to reflect on the experience in their idea books, writing “recipes” for their new colours.
Watch the experience here! fingerpaint-colour-mixing-close-up (Flash player required)
Click to hear Joey make connections about his experience. joey_talks_about_colour_mixing
The Nursery & Kindergarten students continued in their colour-mixing journey. In this learning invitation, students were encouraged to explore texture – through corn starch and coloured water.
Students described the feeling of corn starch in their fingers: ““It’s like baby powder!” “Like a baby”
“Soft!” “Nice like a cuddly teddy bear.” Next, they experimented by adding coloured water to the corn starch. This mixture created “goo” and the children had a wonderful time exploring this mysterious concoction. “The goo is sometimes hard, sometimes soft!” “It feels like goop,” explains Drayden. “I think it feels like jello,” exclaims Izzy.
Children sat for long periods of time, delighted by the interesting colourful textures.
The students in Mrs. Chernecki’s Nursery & Kindergarten have been exploring the wonder of colour. They worked like scientists, using eye droppers to carefully lift coloured water into their mixing trays, combining red, yellow and blue to create a rainbow of beautiful colours. The children were captivated as they observed the colours “dancing,” mesmerized by the brilliant jewel-like hues. Children began to construct their own theories about where colours come from: “from RAINBOWS!” “from FLOWERS!” and connections were made, “the colours remind me of rainbow cars!” “green like a pickle…and a watermelon!” Children have been reading and discovering all about primary and secondary colours, and are learning how artists use these colours to communicate their ideas.
