Moon Documentation

Documentation

I have created several documentation panels. I like using PowerPoint because of my lack of fine motor skills for all the cutting and measuring. I believe that if the documentation should be thought out.
It allows me to put together quality documentation quickly by putting conversations with pictures. I create boxes around the conversations so that I can cut on the lines.






Documentation is one of the hardest parts to keep organized and up to date. I have project meetings and this is where I get most of my data. I write down conversations the children are having. I always am carrying around my camera, it is just a small one that fits in my pocket.This is a drawing from their question,"Why is the moon out during the daytime?"

I begin writing down their conversations.

After they began doing research on the question.

This is where I start documenting through their writing about their research into the questions and my questioning.

We continued to do many art, writing, and science experiments looking for the answer.

Complete Documentation Of Our Questioning

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We continued this research project for 3 months.

I had the children discuss how they wanted the documentation put together. They decided they wanted the planets hung from the ceiling in order from the sun. 

I put the project together starting from the beginning about the question until the conclusion of the project.

I will continue to add great examples of documentation.

Questioning Leads to More Questioning

Questions Lead to New Questions

They students took the questions and began wondering about things that are found in Outer Space.

Jupiter

They began creating Power Points to document their learning about the planets. They wanted to create the planets, meteors
, asteroids, sun, constellations.

We began discussing how they wanted to create their planets.
They choose to make them with yarn.

I found different sizes of balloons.
They inflated them and began wrapping the yarn around the balloon.
Then made modge podge from a recipe (find on Pinterest).
They used large paintbrushes to put the glue on the balloon.
Tip: Make sure yarn is not to thick or the glue will not penetrate and it will collapse
They popped the balloon and added a paperclip to hang from the ceiling.

The sun they used yellow water color on a paper lantern. We added a light inside.

Next step with moon Investigation

The next step was setting up a provocation for their ideas about the moon being visible during the day.

We began using mirrors and flashlights to reflect and refract light,.

The children used flashlights as the sun and shined the light into the mirrors.

They sketched their ideas about the question.

This lead to the investigation on what they see in the sky? They wanted to learn more about the planets

Investigation of the moon

Why is the moon out during the Day?

The children became aware of the moon was visible during the day. They became interested in finding the answer to question.

The challenge for the day was for them to develop their ideas about why.

Some of the children went to the computer and started researching.
Other children sketched their ideas.
Other wrote about thier ideas.
Then one group went to the block center and began creating a model of the question.

The differnence in a Reggio inspired classroom is that children can use their different languages to construct their ideas. Is this the easiest way for a teacher? No, the classroom environment is key to help children be able to use their own language. The normal 2nd grade environment does not have a block center or art center (atelia). The classroom becomes loud and active during the process. This can become a challenge within a public school. Teachers, parents, and administrators that have never experienced this style of teaching have the impression that I do not have good classroom management skills, the children are just playing, or we are not working on literacy skills. This has been my journey this year. 

What has been your experience with these challenges?