This week at Bream Bay Kindergarten, one child`s inquiry led to several children exploring and investigating alongside each other in their own individual ways...
The Provocation: After observing Vitali peel strips of bark from the eucalyptus tree, I asked him what he had discovered about bark? "Dry bark comes off easier than wet bark" he said.
Vitali wanted to utilise the bark in an experiment, to find out if it was possible to "put colour on the bark". We selected a variety of water and dye colours and added some droppers to aid the experiment.
Seeing Vitali working on his experiment sparked the curiosity of other children and they soon joined him, eager to know what he was doing and to become a part of it.
Through the active exploration of putting colour on bark, other ideas about how to use the resources and what children were wanting to learn began to surface.
Vitali wanted to utilise the bark in an experiment, to find out if it was possible to "put colour on the bark". We selected a variety of water and dye colours and added some droppers to aid the experiment.
Seeing Vitali working on his experiment sparked the curiosity of other children and they soon joined him, eager to know what he was doing and to become a part of it.
Through the active exploration of putting colour on bark, other ideas about how to use the resources and what children were wanting to learn began to surface.
For some children it was a colour mixing experiment.
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| Alex said "I made black... I used all the colours" |
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| "Hey, that made orange... Now I've made brown... Oh, I made brown again", said Stella. It was an art experience for other children. |
Some children were learning to use the droppers...
...while others were finding innovative things to do with the droppers.
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| Alex was excited to discover that he could make bubbles |
Learning occurs through the active exploration of the natural, social, physical, and material aspects of the environment. Through active exploration, children are learning useful and appropriate ways to find out what they want to know, they are beginning to understand their own individual ways of learning and being creative, and they are purposefully using resources. Sense of self-worth, identity, confidence, and enjoyment of children are enhanced through exploration. (Te Whariki, 1996)
And just in case you were wondering, you can "put colour on bark".
"We’ve taught you that the earth is round,
That red and white makes pink,
And something else that matters more –
We’ve taught you how to think!"
Dr. Seuss
"We’ve taught you that the earth is round,
That red and white makes pink,
And something else that matters more –
We’ve taught you how to think!"
Dr. Seuss
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