IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

This week we started a couple of new adventures!

The first thing we started this week was Story Workshop. I mentioned us starting to do some things with story workshop a couple of months ago, but this week we started doing it during the day. It is very similar to the other workshops in that we start off with a minilesson, then we do something called negotiations where I review with each child what they did the day before during story workshop. then I ask them if they would like to use the same material to tell their story or use a different material. Then the child go off and work with their material. This week the materials are watercolor paint, clay, blocks,and collage materials. During their independent time they are working on telling a story through their material of choice. Each day they continue to tell their story until they feel they are finished. When they are finished telling their story or when they feel it is necessary they can bring paper into their space and write their story down to go along with their material. After they are done working independently, the children sit down and we share a couple of works.

The children have LOVED this time each day and are so engaged. Oliver told me today that is was “AMAZING!” Their stories right now are focused on how we can tell incoming students to our school community what our school is all about. What I have noticed is that the children are really working on revising and editing which is a huge part of the writing process. Most of the children between yesterday and today stayed with the same material and added more detail or revised their story. I am thrilled to see how this influences their storytelling and their writing!

Another exciting part of the week is our big responsibility to take care of the chickens! Each day we have to check on the chickens twice. In the morning we have to feed the chickens one scoop of chicken food, and we have to check if there are any eggs. In the afternoon we have to feed any scraps leftover from lunch to the chickens, change their water, and again check for eggs. We have gotten two eggs so far from the chickens so that has been fun! The children have really taken this responsibility seriously! What has been fun, too, is that after we are done with the chickens in the afternoon we have been playing some super fun games which the children just LOVE!

Reid and Kristien we working together to create a 3D shape!

Today, during Math Workshop, the kids used marshmallows and toothpicks to create 3D shapes.  Over the past few weeks we have been talking about different kinds of shapes and this week we have moved into 3D.  It was great to see the kids discover the similarities and differences between 2D and 3D shapes.  Wyatt shared at the end, “I learned that 3D shapes almost always need a base.”  Max shared, “Most 3D shapes have faces where regular shapes just have sides!”

As I have shared in previous posts, our class has been exploring many different materials in the last few months.  Since about March, our friends have been using many different materials to tell stories.  The use of materials during Writer’s Workshop is something I actually observed when I was in Portland, Oregon, at the Opal School.  They integrate the arts into Writer’s Workshop and call it Story Workshop.  Kids are allowed to use paints, clay, blocks, and even more to help them tell their stories.  As a class, we have been doing this too for the last few months during Writer’s Workshop.  To show an example of the power of materials, I thought I would share the story of Maxwell and Olivia.

Last week, Maxwell and Olivia were working together to write a story about their first few days of school.  They were using the story people (smaller pictures of each of the students in the classroom) to tell their story.  They were using the story people almost like action figures moving them around and acting out the different parts.  On Thursday, Maxwell and Olivia shared their story.  The rest of the class gave suggestions and asked questions that would help guide Maxwell and Olivia.

Maxwell and Olivia were using the story people to create a story about the beginning of school.

Today, Maxwell and Olivia came back to this story…only this time with a different material.  Today the chose to start writing a book about the same story.  For the entire Writer’s Workshop, the two worked together to add details and different parts to their story.  While we have not had a chance to come back as a class and talk about it, I know that when we do, the story will have even more in it!  Check back later this week to find out about how their story developed with the second material of a blank book!

Maxwell and Olivia, today, working together on their story in a book.

The children have been so excited about the carnival that is going on tomorrow! They have been asking a lot of questions about the silent auction which has been interesting since I did not think they would be interested in that. They wanted to know what it it, how it works, and why we do it. They proposed that we should update our playground with the money because “it needs it.”

All this week we have been working on making signs for the carnival games. The children have really been interested and excited to make them!! It has been a wonderful opportunity for the children to work on spelling, revising, and artwork to support the carnival.