“We could paint it.” RYAN

Ryan and Brooke discover a piece of bark in the woods.  Looking closely, they observe lines that twist and turn, carved onto the inner surface of the piece.

"We found writing! The number four."

They compare the bark to a piece of paper, and name another found piece of wood, “the pen.”

"We could paint it and then write on it."  Ryan

We invited the children to engage with Ryan’s idea, experimenting with what painting on bark could be.

“It was more wrinkly and smoothy.”

“It’s rough.”

“It’s gentler. See, I’m painting gentle.”

           “It’s kinda hard.  I had to go under it with the paintbrush.”

“You had to paint in the cracks.”

“Charlotte figured out how to do the scribbling.”

“It has mountains.”