In Rata we have been looking at a style of learning developed in Reggio Emelia in Italy. It is child centered, with topics arising from children's conversations and their interactions with the world around them. Teachers look for provocations from which they can challenge and extend the understanding of the children. Our current provocation was a discussion that took place in the class about a bug that was found on the window sill and whether it was a spider or an insect. Rather than provide the children with an answer, we as a class are going to explore insect and spider life to develop an understanding of what they are and make conclusions at to which had died on our classroom window sill.
Today I wanted to find out what the children already knew about Spiders and insects. I asked them to draw a picture of a spider and then an insect and recorded the ideas that they were sharing as they drew their pictures. We will repeat this task at the end of our learning and see how their uderstandings have changed.
Finn’s InsectFinn: What is an insect? I don’t know.
Miss B: What do you think it might be?
Finn:I think it is a house thing.
At this point one of the other children mentioned bugs.
Finn: I know what a bug is.
It has dots on it and it has no eyes or legs.
Finn’s Spider
Spiders can’t see anything their eyes are all covered up.
Jeherson’s Insect
It has a flower on it and stripes and it has 2 wings and 3 feet. His mouth sticks out and it has 2 eyes.
Jeherson’s Spider
I asked Jeherson what the long dark piece was off the top of the spider head, his reply was…
They have hairs on them.
Taylor and Jessica ran back and forwards to a picture of a dragonfly, copying the details they could see.
Jessica’s Insect
It has 2 wings, 2 eyes and 5 legs. It’s a doctor one, it makes all the other dragonflies alive again. It has a doctor thing to check your heart with. (stethoscope)
Jessica’s Spider
They have 25 legs and lots of eyes. They are really black and you can’t see their eyes.
I asked Jessica what the long stripy pieces coming out of the spider were, her reply was…
These are white tails.
Taylor’s Insect
It’s a dragonfly on a leaf, it has a flat nose. It has 5 feet and stripes on its tail.
Taylor’s Spider
They have 2 eyes. They have legs all over their head and body.
Shawn’s Insect
It has 11 legs, it has dots on it and 2 eyes.
Shawn’s Spider
They have 9 eyes. It has eyes on its body.
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