How many ways to move a cement block!?

Prescho0l used their muscles  and their knowledge of simple machines to move a cement block.

Machine Portraits

Children have been constructing "Machine Portraits" using the concepts that they have been learning about, pulleys, wheels, levers, inclined planes, wedges and screws. After they are completed, the children have been presenting their portraits at meeting. This is the first batch.

The Machine

 Pulleys, ramps, tubes, balls. Up and Down and All Around!

 In and Out.

I

 Woodworking Bench

 Moving like machines-spinning and twisting.

 More action with simple machines

 Movement with Ashley and Caddy.

Friday Feast-Pumpkin Bread and Applesauce. Yummy.

Busy workers

Studying Simple Machines-I

 Using a hammer, which is a lever.

 Taking apart a sewing machine with screwdrivers.

 Drilling holes.

Artist-in-Residence

We had a great start to the Artist-in-Residence program. Caddy and Ashley from The Center Dance School. This first session introduced  the children  to the concepts and format that will be used throughout the program. 

Children took turns introducing themselves with their name attached to a movement.  Next, three positions were introduced. Position I is standing tall, similar to Mountain Pose. Position II is a mid-level wide squat, and Position III is sitting criss-cross in a nesting pose. Ashley then guided the children through a warm up session by brushing all the sleep off every part of the body. The next activity was moving like arctic animals, the howling wolves, sleepy foxes and leaping bunnies. Caddy and Ashley then led a discussion about what "action" meant. Children's responses included, "means you have a canon that shoots things", "when someone runs super fast", "if you have a video camera and someone is in front of you, they would say "action", "how fast a cheetah runs", "if someone was riding a bike fast". Ashley noted that we could use all these movements to make a group dance. The next discussion was about machines. Children made a list of the different kinds of machine actions including sawing, rolling, blasting, lifting, digging, balancing and bending. 

Finally, we broke into two small groups. One group performed their exploration of lifting, while the other group was the audience, then the roles were switched. A wonderful first session.

Oh, everyone was delighted that a baby joined the session!

 Position II-mid level.

 Snowflakes spreading wide.

 Arctic wolves arching and howling.

 Exploring creeping-mid level.

 Exploring creeping-low level.

 Lifting-Group 1.

Lifting -Group 2.

Miscellaneous Moments

 The big guys chilling.

 Windows.

 Sophisticated roof work utilizing balance and overhang.

 Anna and Elsa's invade the block area.