Dear Studio Red,
Way back in September, we began our year together breaking things apart! We remember Jackson called the space where the Zoomie lives, the Break Apart Zone. Today we invite you to break apart rocks to see what you might discover. Working to create separate pieces from one object, we can learn a lot about the materials that make it what it is. We can see beyond the surface to see what lies beneath!
Love, Lauri and Emily
do & draw
DO
What questions do we ask as we break apart rocks?
You might use: your hands, a hammer, protective glasses, & other rocks.
So many of you have been noticing rocks all year long—big ones, small ones, rough ones, and smooth ones. You have found rocks of many colors and shapes. As we mess about with rocks we build so many ideas. Experimentation helps us understand a material. But not only are we thinking of ideas, we are also doing something that is even more important! We are asking questions! Today as you break apart rocks, we invite you to notice your questions. Perhaps you want to create a game of this practice! With a sibling or grown-up, or perhaps your whole family, see how many questions you can ask about one rock! You can do this before you try breaking it, during the play, or afterwards!
A note for parents:
The trick to this question exercise is to not pause to judge or answer any questions. Even if you think a question might be the same as another that was asked, write it down! Through this practice, children can begin to think about different kinds of questions. They can begin to develop deeper questions and understand those questions that lead them to figure out what they are most curious about. Set a timer if you’d like! Write all the questions as you play and after you are finished, number them!
DRAW
How does a rock draw?
