This week we talked more about friendship. We also talked about the unique qualities that make up each one of us and why all of those qualities are such gifts in a classroom community. We talked about what can happen when we take those gifts and put them together to collaborate.
Little Smudge is a wonderful book that investigates just that. If you haven't read it here is a quick synopsis:
Hello—can I play with you?
For a child, the entire world hangs on the answer to that question.
But what happens if the response is NO?
Lonely Little Smudge is searching everywhere for a friend—and when it sees a group of shapes playing together it thinks the wish has come true. But the colorful squares, triangles, diamonds, and circles all think Smudge is just too different…until it shows them all the amazing shapes it can form, and how magical its difference can be.
After reading the story and having a quick discussion the children were invited to explore their thinking with black line painting. We asked the question- "Can you move around your paper like little smudge?"
Next the children were invited to add color to the black shapes. We asked the questions "What happens when the colors meet and start to work together? Why is it important to work together?
Here are some of the Responses
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO WORK TOGETHER?
Together the colors can turn into anything and change color and shape. Like rainbows or whatever people feel like. It is important to work together because you can make beautiful things even faster. - Karlee
When I added the colors to the black shape they started to make something, to work together. They all go toward the little black smudge and join him like they are all biting on to him but not hurting. It is good that they work together because they can become something. –Jack
When I see the colors mixing I see a butterfly and the butterfly meets a diamond, then the diamond sees a spiral and the spiral leads them to all of the colors. The black is Little Smudge and they ask him to teach them how to make something. When they all work together they teach each other things. – Addie
You know what happened. All of the colors mixed together and they all became little smudge. When colors work together they become something else. - Carl
In my picture the colors mixed together to make sky and grass. Little smudge is here in the middle. He has a painting of colors inside of him, but he is all alone. He is alone because his friends are home eating dinner and he is by himself outside. Little Smudge feels so good when he is with the other colors and shapes. He feels sad when he is alone. - Eliot
We continued our investigation with math workshop. There were different SHAPE manipulatives set out for the students to explore. And again we asked WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SHAPES CONNECT AND WORK TOGETHER?
