Exploring Space

We have begun making our rocket and today had a chance to experience a rocket launch. We counted down from 10 and then blasted off to the moon...



Conan asked what astronauts eat... He said: "I think they eat banana's" Asher said: "They eat jelly in space"
After the children had experienced the shaky rocket launch and landing, they walked out of the rocket onto the moon and used very slow big steps to demonstrate that they were on the moon...



As a whole group we watched a real Rocket get launched into space, we saw the astronauts and heard the control room count down from 20.... We joined in and as we said "lift off" the rocket lifted off and burst into space... Helen had a 'moon' to show the children and asked: "Why doesn't the moon fall down?" We had some very insightful answers...

Asher: "Because the wind is lifting it up"
Tegan: "Because it's floating in space"
Aiken: "Because it can't"
Conan: "When the sun comes up then the moon falls down"
Milly: "The sun circles the moon and it stays up, and the moon circles too"

Children are constantly making up theories about the world and its marvels, we do well to listen, their unique view on the world is very refreshing and provides a window into their thoughts.

After a demonstration on orbiting we all stood up to spin like the planets and the moon...




Lastly we held and felt a 'moon rock' we talked about what the moon is made of and described how the rock felt... We need to touch, see, smell, taste and live what we are learning for knowledge to grow and become real. Hopefully after today's rocket launch, orbit spinning and moon rock we can claim to know a little more about space.

Imagination is more powerful than intellect

                              

  

Today we revisited the story 'Going Home' about a boy in hospital who uses his imagination to visit amazing places and do extraordinary things.... We talked about the places the boy visited. We named the specific countries: Africa, India, South America ect. Next we divided into groups and chose an illustration out of the story....

 

           

Sarah, Asher, Charlotte, Mak and Tegan had the image of the Snow Leopard in the Himalayas....
Their story is as follows:
When we see the Snow Leopard Tegan thinks we should ride on it or go with it...
Tegan: "They went to the Hymalayas to travel all the way home... through the snow and over the mountains...
Asher: "Then they came across a big scary tiger with very sharp claws and very sharp teeth"
Charlotte: "We all tip toed past it"
Asher: "And then threw a snow ball with chocolate in it and the chocolate was like a chocolate ice block.
Mak: "When the tiger ate the chocolate ice block it broke its sharp teeth"
Tegan: "So we went past the scary tiger without getting bitten, then the big big mummy snow tiger came along...."

We can see how this imaginary setting inspired the children to collaborate and share ideas, the story telling fostered listening skills and supported the use of advanced language skills. The children used very descriptive words (adjectives) and structured their sentences similar to how a written story sounds: Asher: "They came across a big scary tiger" Children who use their imagination are more likely to be able to think divergently and participate in play. By using a story illustration to inspire the children to use their imagination to create a story we are fostering the development of their sense of being literate, they will become familiar with story structure and confident communicators....

 

Building Discoveries

Asher and Sam are building a pool for their toy dog. They make a square using the long blocks, this is a structure Asher is familiar with building. He has built numerous pools for different play situations. Perhaps it is the shape of the pool that he swims in often or maybe he associates this wooden barrier with keeping water in, or maybe it is the shape of the blocks that guides his building. This structure becomes the base for Asher, Sam and Tegan's playground for the dog.

Tegan adds a ramp to Asher's 'pool' and shows how the dog uses the ramp to jump into the water. Samantha adds two planks leading down into the pool and Conan tops these off with an arch way. The children are observing each other and waiting to add their parts.

I ask what the block on Sam's ramp is: Asher: "A boat" Tegan goes to fetch a goose and cat: "yes a boat for the dog, cat and goose." She places each animal on the boat. Again the block becomes something imaginary. Why is it a boat? Asher decided this and perhaps it is because the ramp looks like a boat ramp. He practices backing the 'boat block' down the ramp. Maybe Asher has had a similar experience where he watched his dad back their boat down a ramp.... He is using his real life experiences to enhance his play.

Suddenly a discovery is made: The boat moves all by itself... Wow.... The slippery surface of the blocks and weight of the toy animals guides the boat down the ramp. What a discovery, the children replay this action over and over and soon realize that it goes faster with all the animals on it and with a little push... will they discover that if they make the ramp steeper it will zoom down?

   

Later Peyton finds the block structure and uses the ramp to test out how different blocks slide, she is very pleased with her discovery and tries 3 different blocks. Each child used the blocks to make discoveries, problem solve and imagine.