A hidden world – life under trees

A few weeks ago I posted a blog (here) discussing some inquiry work the children had been conducting on trees. When posting a blog it is sometimes easy for you – the reader – to think that that’s the end of the topic, the children have done their learning and we as the teachers are moving onto new areas of inquiry. Of course this does sometimes happen, but often the inquiry continues, becoming more in-depth and more complex. As work progresses more problems are naturally presented, more theories shared and more understanding is created.


















This is what has been happening with our work on trees, and is what I am going to share with you through this post.


In my last post I shared some of the wonderful drawings children created whilst working on the topic of trees. Since then I have introduced clay to the resources on offer to further extend the children’s current knowledge and understandings.

Having worked extensively on their drawings of trees (which the children are still choosing to re-visit independently), the children have found they are now able to make extremely complex tree sculptures.

All the tree sculptures began the same way, with an armature to help the clay from collapsing, but the children then choose very different materials with which to represent their trees. These varied from wire, sequins, beads, real leaves, fallen branches and string.

Working with clay can be viewed as a language for exploring and communicating ideas. Like drawing, clay work enables children to make their ideas visible – but in three dimensions. Different materials present different possibilities and so enable children to extend ideas.

As the children worked with their clay, we discussed what we had already discovered about trees and continued to share our ideas. One of the biggest challenges with the clay trees was getting the branches to stay on and the tree to stand upright. Interestingly this led to some in-depth discussion about the different shapes of trees, how the wind and storms can blow trees down and how the roots help support the tree in the ground.

Investigations can involve more than gathering knowledge about topics. They offer us ways to nurture children’s imagination and spirit and their potential as morally aware, critically thinking citizens (Kolbe, 2005).

Now, after this brief sharing of ideas on the role of roots, I encouraged the children back to thinking more deeply about root systems. I wanted to deepen their investigations, so whilst working alongside the children I was keen to challenge their ideas, provoke their thinking whilst also co-exploring along with them.

What hidden worlds are under trees? was one of my questions. As you can see from the children’s conversations below, worms were a popular choice of discussion and once again I decided to offer the children drawing materials.

Drawing is central to investigations as it involves materials that make it easy for children to generate ideas quickly (Kolbe)

A sole tree with worms coming out of the grass

Water sucked up by roots

What hidden worlds are under trees?

Taika ‘Snails’
Mia ‘And slugs’
Khaia ‘And even worms, I see them’
Tyler C ‘And sometimes snakes’
Mason 'Cicada bugs too and we have a bug at home that crawls on the grass, it's purple but I don't know what it's called'.
Tyler M ‘Dirt, lots and lots of dirt and beetle bugs’
Mia ‘And there’s water in the dirt’


Why is there water in the dirt?
Mia ‘It’s from the rain’

Worms amongst the roots

Taika ‘When you give water to trees, they drink it, they get food’

How else do trees get food?
Tyler M ‘Some people put food on the trees and its like compost.
Kayden ‘Worms are in compost’
Tyler M ‘Worms go into the compost. If people have yucky food the worms eat it and then it turns into compost and feeds the plants’
Kayden ‘Worms wiggle with their bodies under the trees and make holes’
Khaia ‘And you know, worms eat the leaves to make food’
Tyler M ‘Compost? But food needs to rot down to make compost’


So how do worms help make compost and food for the trees?
Khaia ‘Erm…. so I think garden worms eat leaves, hey I know, it's when the

Tree surrounded by worms

leaves fall on the ground.’
Taika ‘The worms go into the tree roots. So the worms eat the trees then make more food. They eat the leaves and eat all through the leaves. The food is in the ground’
Liliana ‘Yes, that’s right. The food is in the ground and the roots. It comes from the soil because of the compost when you throw it out, it makes food for the trees that go into the roots. It’s all the garbage from the bin – worms give us good things. The leaves transform into their tummies and crack open and then the leaves turn into food and its drinked up from the roots’
Kate ‘I’ll show you how it works by drawing it. The leaf goes into the worms mouth, then the leaf's coming out of the tummy and it then pours into compost in the ground’.

Water sucked up by a tree through its roots

Next to the root system of a tree there is a whole hidden world - rabbits, ants and worms

Drawing demonstrating the 'hidden world' under the trees: roots, worms, ant, snails, slugs and cicada bugs.

I just love these conversations. I have been so privileged to be able to listen to the children’s understandings evolve and expand as they think deeply about a topic. I can’t wait to see where their work on trees will take them (and me) to next!

'Water moves from the rain to the ground, into the roots and then...up up to the leaves'

Nga mihi, Christine

Christine's National Excellence in Teaching Award

This morning we had the opportunity to partake in a very special celebration with our children and families – a tea party to applaud Christine for being awarded with a National Excellence in Teaching Award - NEiTA.

Last week Christine (accompanied by her lovely husband Mat) flew to Wellington to join twenty-four other teachers from across the education sector to receive regional awards for excellence in teaching and leadership in the Grand Hall, Parliament Buildings.

 Christine’s nomination for this award came from community recognition of her exemplary teaching skills. Christine is well known as a thoughtful, purposeful and intentional teacher who promotes professionalism in Early Childhood Education. Christine’s work with children is underpinned by affection; this disposition of care and attention was confirmed again today when Liliana (5 years) stated, “She’s a good teacher to all of us and we love her so much!” 

Christine chats with reporters from The Advocate

As you can imagine, preparing for a ‘surprise’ at kindergarten is never an easy task! However with the combined effort, aroha and energy of our kindergarten team and families, a truly wonderful tea party was prepared.

Kai tables were transformed with layers of white tablecloths, lace and vases bursting with colourful flowers. Fine china and teapots were collected, shared and laid out on the table alongside platters, plates and pedestals laden with the most delicious assortment of treats. Centre to all this mouth-watering fare was a truly sumptuous cake.

 

Christine was seated at the head of the tables in a beautifully adorned ‘princess chair’, she was surrounded by parents (past and present) her team, local media and our tamariki – Christine’s teaching community to which she has given her heart and her thinking.

“there is nothing more beautiful in life

than celebrating the talents, dreams,

joys, and accomplishments of another being

to see - and call attention to - the best in someone else...”

― Kate Mullane Robertson

The NEiTA Awards were established by ASG Education Programs New Zealand 18 years ago to promote excellence in teaching. In the 2014 programme booklet NEiTA’s Chief Executive John Velegrinis states: “Today’s recipients are teachers and education leaders of the highest calibre. It is so heartening to meet teaching professionals who are so committed to bringing out the best in our children academically and socially. Their record of achievement in going above and beyond to help students’ reach their full potential is outstanding.” (NEiTA programme, 2014)

Here at Mairtown we continued to feel truly blessed to work alongside such an aspiring and dedicated professional. Congratulations Christine, you make us so proud!

Some reflections from the children on why Christine received a 'best teacher award':

"She helps other people - she helps on the Nature Programme - I went on the Nature Programme with her, we walked to the Magic Tree" - Kate

"I like playing with her in the sandpit" - Tyler C

"Christine does great painting. Her's nice, she's the nicest in the whole world" - Livia

"She listens to us...and she understands" - London-Rose

"I like when she's playing with children" - Maria

Me te mihi nui, na Kim 

Play is the key for valuable learning

Recently I have being doing some reading about play and what valuable learning children develop from it.  When I think of play it encompasses a huge amount of development for children including, learning social and motor skills and cognitive thinking.

“In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behaviour.  In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”  (Lev Vygotsky)

As a teacher every day I observe children learning through their play in a variety of ways, whether it be solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play, associative play, social play, motor-physical play, constructive play, expressive play, fantasy play or cooperative play. 

“When you asked me what I did in school today and I say ‘I just played.’  Please don’t misunderstand me.  For you see, I am learning as I play.  I am learning to enjoy and be successful in my work.   Today I am a child and my work is play.”  (Anita Wadley, 1974)

There are so many benefits of play and I couldn’t agree more with Anderson-McNamee (2010) where she explains, “Play is an essential and critical part of all children’s development.  Play allows children to be creative while developing their own imaginations.  Play is how children learn to socialize, to think, to solve problems, to mature and most importantly, to have fun.  Play connects children with their imagination, their environment, their parents and family and the world.”

I would like to share this link to a short video titled “One morning at kindergarten” as it is a wonderful explanation of the nuances of learning within an early childhood setting.

Video - click here to view

Ngā mihi

Susie

Small group inquiry - Discussing the world of trees

Kolbe states that, ‘Trees are a rich topic that can inspire and enchant’. I can’t help agree, trees aren’t just beautiful they are also extremely fundamental to our environment and existence. With this in mind and with autumn well underway - the leaves noticeably changing colour - I thought how a discussion on trees would be a wonderful way to begin this new term.

When I’m working with children in small groups, listening to them inquire, telling their stories, working out their ideas I can’t help but feel excited. Inquiry based learning is an aspect of teaching that I love and value.

This documented work begins with just one simple question, “Why do we need trees?”. As always I was ready with some photographs to provoke the children’s thinking about trees, and of course we spent some time sitting on the grass at Kindergarten examining the trees around us.

As the children started to reflect and share their ideas I was ready with materials for them. Loris Malaguzzi the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to education felt it was important for the art studio to be subversive; a combination of both an art studio and a science laboratory. This is evident each time I work with children and provide tools for their exploration - whether it be clay, paints, pen and paper – these media are helpful for children when working out their ideas, hypothesizing, testing theories and answering questions.

In this recent work the children worked with white paper, black vivid and at times dye. Here is an extract from their thinking:

Why do we need trees?

Chamodhi ‘Trees are good for playing, if we hurt trees they stop growing’

Peter ‘You can jump off trees’

Wyatt ‘And build a house in a tree’

Chamodhi ‘We can build things in trees like monkey bars and trees can be taller than a house or just little’

Payton ‘And if someone cuts the wood off you can use it to make stairs’

Tyler O ‘You need trees at Christmas in your houses’

Mason ‘And you could use their leaves as a fan’

Drawings based on observation include a blend of the observed, remembered and the imagined.

‘Young children are extremely expressive, with an enormous capacity for sharing feelings and emotion, and that imagination plays a key role in the child’s search for knowledge and understanding’.

(Learning, Teaching Scotland, 2006)

Why do trees have leaves?

Marcus ‘They help people stay dry for a bit from the rain'

Wyatt ‘Some trees have no leaves on when they are alive and trees bend in wind and they give us shade’.

Liam ‘Yes trees are good to park under to keep the car not too hot, and if you don’t park under trees the car gets too hot’

London-Rose ‘Leaves are at the top and sometimes at the bottom of trees’

Payton ‘Sometimes leaves are pointy or not pointy’

London-Rose ‘And trees have branches and a trunk’

Liliana ‘Trees are very very interesting. Some trees are very big with bushes on the top. Trees are our friends and they have leaves on them, which fall at winter.

Wyatt ‘No it’s autumn, the leaves fall at autumn!’

Liliana ‘At autumn time usually the leaves just turn different colours, leaves can fall in winter too!’

Wyatt ‘Trees are good for climbing and you can put swings in trees’

Tyler M ‘Trees give us apples, plums, apricots, pears, oranges’

Marcus “And Feijoas’

Mia “Trees have flowers on them”

Why do some trees have flowers?

Emma ‘Because it makes them into a beautiful tree’

Kate B ‘The flowers make food for us’

Wyatt ‘And the bees make food for us as they take the pollen from the flowers on the tree’

Tyler M ‘Trees need rain lots of rain”

 

Why do trees need rain?

Livia ‘It makes them grow’

Kate ‘Or they’ll die’

Marcus ‘They need water so they can grow’

Mason “Yes and they need rain for that and sunshine or they’ll die forever’

Tyler M ‘Trees give animals the shade’

What sort of animals?

Tyler M ‘Birds’

Mia ‘Giraffes eat the leaves from trees’

Oscar ‘And monkeys live in trees’

Tyler M ‘And acorns come from trees which squirrels collect’

Wyatt ‘Trees they make good homes for spiders and ants’

Claudia ‘Birds live in trees, in nests and bees’

Taika ‘You know trees make you breathe!’

How do trees make you breathe?

Claudia ‘The wind blows the leaves around and give you fresh air’

Kate B ‘They just give you fresh air’

Liliana ‘All the bad air is coming up into this hole in the leaf and then it goes down into the soil and the good air is invisible and it comes out into the human mouths’

As we worked together in small groups I was careful to constantly revisit the children’s earlier ideas, allowing time for further reflection and discussion. After several days we began to consider the hidden world of trees, the aspect of trees that we don’t always get to see – life under the soil.

Is there anything underneath a tree?

Liliana ‘Soil, dirt and compost’

Livia ‘And worms’

Tyler M ‘Roots are under, the water drips into the dirt and the water goes into the roots’

Mason ‘Some roots poke out the ground and dirt is around the roots’

What are the trees roots for?

Kate B ‘It makes them grow. The trees grow roots in the ground’

So, do all trees have roots?

Kate B ‘Oh yes, so they can stand in the ground and not move’

'As children listen to each other’s ideas and see each other’s work, they have opportunities to learn that there are different points of view. Through exploring a topic in different ways and from different perspectives, they expand their understandings' (Kolbe)

What do roots look like?

Kate B ‘They are covered in dirt’

Marcus ‘They can look like anything, some are little and some are big’

Kayden ‘They look like snakes’

Liliana ‘They look black and brown in the soil. If the roots weren’t there the tree wouldn’t grow big big big’

How do the roots help make the trees grow?

Kate B ‘They suck the water up and it helps them grow’

Kayden ‘The leaves spit the water out and the roots drink them up again’

 

Apologies for this very long blog post, but after reading the wonderful conversations from the children, I hope you feel it was worth it.

Nga mihi,

Christine