Inquiry and Investigation

Earlier on in the year, with the coming of fall as a class we decided to go on a nature walk to see the changes that were happening around us. The changes with the trees, plants, as well as the changes that were happening in our school garden. we brought out some bins, to collect anything the students found interesting on or nature walk. Some collected apples, leaves, feathers, and others collected twigs, pieces of sunflowers from the garden etc. This was just the beginning of the children's thoughts and interests about nature and the changes that were happening within their own school surroundings. Some children were describing the colour of the leaves, while others were describing the sounds they were hearing from the crunching of the leaves of the floor, to the birds chirping, others noticed some of the squirrels that were running from tree to tree.  One child came to the group with a large sunflower, they asked what can be done with it. We decided to take it inside with the rest of our materials from outside in order to continue our explorations. This is seen in the science domain where children may conduct simple investigation through free exploration, focused exploration, and guided activity, using inquiry skills (FDEL-K 2011, 2.1 p.117).

   From this nature walk, we then began to talk about nature, and the uses nature has within our lives. We discussed the importance of trees, and the various purposes they serve not only with the outdoors but also within our classroom such as paper, pencils, our homes etc. The students began to ask how can tree become paper?, it did not make much sense because they kept saying "but trees are wood and leaves, we don't write on that." I decided to take some pointers from both of the fellow bloggers in order to further explain the process of trees and papers. after brief discussions and videos I left the students to further explore the materials they found, and left them with the ideas of trees, and paper. According to the FDEL-K document the children can make predictions and observations before and during investigations (FDEL-K 2011, 2.2 p.118).

Later on in the day during the students activities, they began to ask each other "how does paper come from trees?" "do they use leaves like this to make the paper?" I decided to show the students further videos on how to make their own paper, and that in fact the materials they collected could be used to make their own paper. When I mentioned this idea to the students, they became excited at the thought asking "when can we do it?" "do we need to get more leaves?" "what do we need to make the paper?" All these questions follow scientific domain of children selecting and using materials to carry out their own explorations (FDEL-K 2011, 2.3 p.119), it also follows the language domain where the students ask questions for a variety of purposes (FDEL-K 2011, 1.8 p.77). Like Mrs. Myers I decided to adopt some of her ideas in making a chart of materials the students will need, as well as the materials that would be needed to make the paper in the classroom, after reading Mrs. Myers blog some of the materials had to be purchased while others were found outside,  within our very own classroom, as well as the students homes. The students followed the steps that were given from the blog, much conversation happened with the students of what they were doing, and how they think the paper will look. The word "mush" was very popular within the classroom when all the materials were mixed together. When the students saw the end result of their paper, it helped them to understand a little better of how paper is made with materials from the environment, a different approach to tree cutting (the traditional way of making paper).  

This picture is from Mrs. Myers blog some of the materials that she used within her investigation and paper making with her students. (http://mrsmyerskindergarten.blogspot.ca/2013/10/how-to-make-paper-investigation-and.html)

      The sunflower that a student collected, and explored with in regards to nature and paper making.