The magic of “what if”... a foundation for thinking about migration
Guiding ideas:
Rethinking tierra. The magic of “what if”
Inspired by the recent news, the Witch, the Gardener and the Curator were talking about ways to bring the idea of land, migration, and belonging to the minds of our little ones. We decided what better way to discuss such ideas than to build our own lands and ocean. Besides planning the logistics (materials, classroom set up, etc) we started thinking about the questions we could ask the amigues about their land. We also decided that this was an incredible opportunity for pairing amigues in unlikely groupings that took into account ages, different interests (unicorns and tractors) with different learning styles and personalities.
Is the land flat or tall?
What can you see from this land?
Does your land have a name?
What grows on the land?
What is the land made of?
Is it cold or warm on the land?
Who else lives on the land? Animals?
Do extinct animals (like dinosaurs) still live on the land?
What is magical about this land?
Is everyone allowed on the land? Who says yes or no?
What do people sing in this land?
Do people live on the land? What else lives on the land?
Do people fight on this land? What do people fight about?
Do people love on this land? How do they share love?
How do people help each other?
What is special about this land?
How does this land help other land?
What is beautiful in this land? Is there anything ugly?
Who belongs on the land?
Does the land talk to other lands?
How can you travel from your land to other lands?
Were you born on the land or did you come? How?
Ingredients for today’s Lab:
These 2 books inspired today’s Lab:
Maybe, by Kobi Yamada - This whimsical book with dreamlike illustrations about the limitless potential and possibilities within each individual inspired a child’s eye look at what their lands might look like.
Migrantes, by Issa Watanabe- A wordless picture book walks the reader through migration and empathy, following a group of animals on a difficult journey to a new land.
Paper pulp (recipe linked) and cut-outs of land (which you currently find displayed in the reception)
Large canvas with ocean colored tempera paint and many types of painting utensils (currently hanging over Tijeras)
What just happened?
Here is a taste of the ethnographic notes Rafa took during today’s lab. Between presence and documentation is a messy line. One that requires each teacher to look back on their notes and reflect on what was missed, what happened, what was understood.
Grupo 1:
Jude-Zoya
Aliya-Toly-Cecilia
Levi-Claudia
Rey-Camille-Oliver
Theo-Luca
Oliver : It’s Rey Rey
Rafa : Que crees que vamos a hacer?
Jude: vamos a make un proyecto
—————
Claudia : a rainbow
Eva : you’re going to invent a rainbow! Does it have clouds?
Claudia: yeah!
Eva: we’re going to make our own worlds!
Claudia : I live in a really big tall building
—————
Rey: this is avalanche mountain. This is big mountain.
Ollie: there’s a dragon rider!
Rey: it’s where owls and dragons live
Wendy: my land is broken hearted wings
Rey: I’m an excavator! I’m making a pancake!
Ollie: that’s a mud
Rey: it’s not mud it’s a pancake!
Ollie: not it’s mud
Rey: no it’s paper mache
—————
Aliya : I’m making an Anna Elsa!
Wendy: what are they gonna do?
Aliya: play
Wendy: play what?
Aliya : their music
—————
Wendy: hi Luca! This is dragon owl
Rey: dragon owl land!
Rey: Okay everyone! Until you are done I’m gonna tell you we’re going to make all the islands the dragons are going to roar!
Wendy: these stick very well!
Jude: I want mountains on Brooklyn
Rafa: I want mountains on Brooklyn
Jude: mountains in Brooklyn
Rey: this is dragon island mountain
Rafa: quién vive en tu tierra?
Jude : mi mamá mi papá y mi
Levi : dragonpire land
Wendy : what do you do on the island?
Levi: Do like this (shimmies body)
Wendy: what else is on your island?
Levi: tomatoes and pirate booty
—————
Claudia : Claudia Brooklyn island
Wendy : what do you play?
Claudia: play on a big mountain
Levi: Claudia and Levi
—————
Jude : I made a land
Wendy: I have some news! Claudia’s island has a forest.
Jude: Brooklyn land where we eat all the food
Wendy: if you have something to say raise your hand before we close
Grupo 2:
Livneh-Max-Kai
Niko-Iris-Sebastián
Tino-Tyler-Matías
Leo-Sunny-Jack
Sunny : I más a castle Leo: I have a house!
Iris: I’m going to make a frosty house of Livneh
Livneh: I’m going to make a school bus that is magical with people
Eva : Is it the magical school bus island land mountain?
Livneh: it’s a mountain there’s a witch there
Max : lollipop island!
Sunny where there be any the bursitis o on your island?
Sunny : my mommy and dad and great great castle it’s brow with a door
Wendy: does any ish have an ide of what isturemnts unciorn plan?
Leo maybe horns!
Wendy : will there be antnign Hard on your land?
Rafa : que van a poner en la Tierra? Wendy do you want a mountain?
Sunny I want to build a castle
Matias : Mae a horse
Rafa : who lives on your island?
Tyler: you!
Rafa: what do I do on the island? Tyler: disappear
Rafa : are there other person who lives on this island?
Tyler : no
Wendy: what’s the name of your island?
Tyler : people island
Rafa: who lives on your island?
Leo my mom my dad and me and my baby brother yeah his name is Raif
Rafa: quien más vive en tu isla?
Leo: ummm my friends?
Rafa : do they fight
Leo : they fight shouting hitting and scremsknfn. Eva use they don’t want to talk t each other
Rafa: Can anyone come?
Leo: oh so much more. This is a pool anyone who fits in it can go in the pool
Wendy look we can climb
Leo no you can’t climb there’s a whole there are monsters in it.
Wendy: are they good monsters?
Leo: no they’re bad
Wendy: how do we travel to the land safely
Leo: Only can have so much people to live there there’s not enough room. You can go in the pool. If you can bake you can go deep.
Wendy: Can I walk along here?
Leo: No because there’s no safety there!
Livneh Iris your island looks a little bit small
Wendy: Livneh Iris your island looks a little bit small what is your land called?
Iris: My land called Elsa ice.
Tyler giggling as he does land
Livneh: I started painting first and read after I made my land
Matias : de la vaca
Wendy : Sunny dijo his (Tino) land was tikiki
Leo: How do we go your land safely?
Iris: Be careful!
Leo: I don’t think it would be helpful because the monster come out to push you.
Iris : we’re should build a wall on one side the monsters the others side no.
Leo: No that won’t work well. The monsters are so strong.
Eva : I wonder what the monsters are like?
Leo: They like to eat pizza!
Eva: they like to eat pizza?
Leo: pizza and people
Eva: maybe if we give them something they like, like pizza mountain, they’ll be nice?
Wendy: Maybe we can grow something for them
Livneh that’s the best idea ever!
Leo: I might grow them some...
Niko: pears!
Leo no blueberries!
Wendy of we have the monsters what they want would they still eat people?
Livneh: yes!
Leo: no!
Wendy: hmmmm
Leo: maybe for ten weeks
Once upon a time there was a land called crocodile monster city. On crocodile monster city there were monsters that taste people. The people were so worried but then they remembered there are fruit trees!
Leo. The walk up and it just made cookies and commit monsters on the tree and watermelon and kiwis. And what kind of fruit? And blackberries and strawberries. Did the monster eat people? No they ate pizza! And then they played monster toys. They assure their snack. Then they ate their dinner. And then they went to bed in the forest And then they woke up in the morning and ate breakfast.
Wendy: and that’s how we know the monsters are allot like us.
