Exploration 1:
The Block Area is always a busy area in the classroom. With the addition of new building materials, the children were interested in building tall. However, they were having a challenging time keeping the blocks and other materials balanced.
We began by talking about what balance meant....
- "Tall."
- "It's Up."
- "A Structure."
We needed to develop a sense of what it meant to have blocks balance - so we explored it with Castle Blocks.
Zane used orange curved pieces to support his structure. He said, "These need to be here so it doesn't fall over."
Danny was having a challenging time balancing the stairs, but then discovered a way to build them tall by stacking them upside down.
"Look what I did. It's tall and it looks like a tree."
Trent used the side of the basket to help him balance his blocks.
"It's working. It's tall."
The children discussed that you have to move slow to balance blocks and that you didn't necessarily need to use the same size or shape materials to have them balance. They worked together and modeled for each other what strategies they used.
Exploration 2:
Balancing on the beam was our next exploration. The children were trying to balance their bodies and trying to develop a sense of awareness about how it feels to balance and focus on movement.
The children used different ways to figure out how to balance their bodies without falling down. Some used both feet, one foot, or crawled to get all the way across.
It was interesting to see the little movements the children made as some of them inched across the beam. It connects to some of the comments the children made that you have to do it very slowly.
The children used their arms to help balance their bodies.
This was a natural reaction for the children.
When we switched from two beams to one, the children went slower and used more of a scooting motion.
Some of their ideas:
Ameer: "Do you know why we are falling off? Because it's a little wiggly."
Teacher: "How are you making your body balance?"
- Holly: "You have to go very slow."
- Ameer: "My shoes protect because they are sticky on the bottom."
- Theo: "I'm standing very still."
The children developed a understanding of how to use their body as a balance. They were successful of getting across without falling off or losing their balance.
Our next exploration will continue their ideas of body movement, balance, and staying upwards.
