From territories, to castles…

"This is a territory for animals."

GRAEME

The water animals go in the water. The land animals go on the land.  GRAEME

I’ll put some rocks in the forest.  MAREN

I’m thinking about the butterflies.  I’m making little cracks and they put their chrysalis and then you pinch it and then it stays up there.  BEATRICE

That is so cool Bea, that there is a top floor, a bottom floor and window gaps.  GRAEME

I’m making a den for coyotes.  CHESTER

After several days of building habitats, four children began thinking about castles, castles for animals and castles for people. . .

How about the castle is our secret hideout?  BROOKE

But the walls aren’t high enough.  RAY

We can build them taller.  BROOKE

Oh yeah, let’s get to work!  RAY

As children build concepts of territories and castles, they create individual parts or places that are connected to a larger group structure.  In this work they are coming to know one another through their ideas and abilities.  The individual child becomes visible within the larger group and the group takes on an identity of its own.

“Guys, I just added another part to our castle.  It is something you’ll think is really cool.” 

RAY