How We Decorate Our World? #4-Creating connections with others through our decorations.

Last week, the children have shown understanding that each person's perspective might be different or same when we look at decorations.  The children explored with the concept of how decorations tell human stories and help us know one another (connection). What are the stories associated with our decorations and how do these help us connect with one another?

Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's painting "The Bedroom", the children started to design their own rooms made out of cardboard. The children built furniture out of twigs, decorated their walls and floors with wonderful designs and made blanket or pillows to make their room look comfortable. By looking at each others' rooms, we get to know more about that person. The children made connections by sharing and using designs that they like in their own rooms.

How We Decorate Our World? #3-Could these picture be decorations?

A

B

The children discussed whether black and white pictures could be used as decorations. We looked at the two pictures above. The children think that picture B could be a decoration and picture A cannot be a decoration. Below is part of our discussion:

Mary: Why is picture B a decoration and not picture A?
Owen: Picture A is just black, there is nothing on it.
Serena: Yeah, there are designs on picture B.
Mary: Why is picture B beautiful?
Orin: There's flowers and shapes.
Judy: Picture B is beautiful.
Mary: So if there are shapes, patterns or designs on picture A then would it become a decoration?
Children: Yes

Next, the children created splatter paint using black and white colours. They were very excited to "throw" paint onto the paper. They felt their painting looked very beautiful and should be displayed in the cubbies on the orange wall.

We Decorate Our World #2 - What is a decoration to each of us?

The children tried to understand that people have different perspectives about decorations through the book "Bunny Cakes" by Rosemary Wells. We compared Ruby's and Max's cake for grandma by using a venn diagram. We noticed that Ruby and Max both wanted to make a cake but came up with very different ideas to decorate their cakes. Depending on their preferences, some children like Ruby's cake and some like Max's cake.

New Unit - We Decorate Our World #1

Last week the teachers took the children on a walk in Southlands Elementary and around the neighbourhood to see what they know about decorations. It was interesting to hear what the children think about decoration. Some pointed out things that are colourful are decorations and things that are black and white are not decorations.
Later water group brainstormed through the following:
- Decorations they saw on their walk
- Is Creative Minds decorated?
- Do we need more decorations in Creative Minds?
- Materials needed to decorate Creative Minds

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