Dear Families,
Last week we spent time looking closely at snowflakes and learning about a man who loved snowflakes so much that he spent his entire life studying them and attempting to take pictures of them before they melted. The children noticed that all the snowflakes had 6 arms, but some snowflakes had arms that looked, “like feathers,” and others had arms that looked, “like a little tree,” and still others were like, “circles with strings coming off of them.”
I asked the children how they could make a snowflake with blocks. Each child approached the problem differently. I loved watching how they figured things out and quickly inspired and taught one another – the first snowflake had 6 arms and a circle, just like the photographs we looked at. Someone decided to place a colored scarf on the ground and soon everyone had a colorful background and our carpet became a sky filled with huge and increasingly intricate snowflakes.
When the snowflakes on the floor became connected by round pieces of wood, someone said, “I’m making a pathway in the sky!” Another child said, “That’s a map.” I thought this was an interesting idea and asked, “What is a map?” “It tells us where we shouldn’t go.” “It has lines.” “It could be in a book.” We decided to make our own map.
Each child worked on the map over several days and connected their part to their friends’ parts: “Mine has treasure.” “This is the city.” “If you walk on the squares, you don’t get in the water.” I so enjoy hearing the children describe their work and the way that multiple stories can coexist simultaneously on our map. Please come see it over our fireplace in the rice room!
Beginning our map
Measuring our map
We continue enacting plays, taking turns playing different roles. Last week we explored “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” In the beginning of the year, we often told this story using blocks. This time, the children were the characters. Everyone wanted to be the troll! This was different from the beginning of the year, too, when many children did not want to embody the villain.
We also spent time last week creating valentines for families and other special people at our school. The children were excited to give and receive mail from each other and celebrate love and sweetness during this cold and sometimes gray time of year.
On Thursday February 21st, from 1:00-2:45 we will celebrate Alaska Day! Please dress warmly for fun outdoor activities.
On Friday, February 22nd, there will be no Ski-Friday.
All the best!
Sarah