Critical Thinking

Journal: Exploring Transformation in Stories and through Materials

Context

The Big Garden (4-5 year olds) class was grappling with the idea of transformation and previously explored the idea of transformation via storytelling and experimentation in class. (See Big Garden journal 10/18/13)  This journal is a continuation of the teachers’ strategy of using narratives to continue to explore the transformation concept. 

November 8, 2013 – Exploring Transformation in Stories and through Materials

The Big Garden class is deep in their process of exploring the ways they can affect change on the world around them. This journal will discuss entry points we have been using to explore transformation - through storytelling and hands on, exploratory use of materials

Narrative and Foundational Entry Points: Transformation Stories: Storytelling, Storyboarding, and Story acting

Each child in the Big Garden has had the opportunity to be in a small group to tell a "transformation story". These stories have been fleshed out in the small groups, with each child adding elements to the story. Some groups have been very active in their storytelling, moving through the parts as they tell them. Others have been very engaged in the process of narrating the story before moving on to the next steps of acting or drawing or both. 

A learning goal we have for children this age is to put their thoughts into action. To do this we added the step of drawing each part of the story in a storyboard format, which the group works on together, each child deciding which part(s) of the story they would like to represent. For many this has added a deeper connection to not just their individual part of the story, but to the story as a whole. We also have observed the children adding details to their drawings as they work with each other and remind each other about parts that should be shown. 

Secondly, each group has the opportunity to bring their story to the whole group during Circle Time meeting. The stories then undergo another transformation in which other children interpret the story into action, adding another layer of perspective and meaning to the story. It has been interesting to watch the original storytellers as they watch their peers take ownership, for the moment, of their story. They have been so open to seeing other's interpretations of their stories, which speaks to the close relationships with one another. It seems to be just as enjoyable for them to watch others tell their stories as it was to tell it themselves! 

The acceptance and integration of one another's ideas through these processes has been remarkable. Being able to accept and integrate a peer's idea stood out as a corner stone of creative thinking from our 2010-2012 research, and it is evident in all of the transformation storytelling experiences thus far. It is no surprise that storytelling is an entry point in which the Big Garden children's creativity is able to shine, as each child is able to put their own unique style and twist to the stories as they unfold. 

The theme of transformation has taken many forms in the stories, and the sense of power that transformation offers is evident throughout. In some stories characters transform, in others the characters have the power to transform other things, and sometimes it is nature that is transforming. There is also power in a lot of the character's abilities in being able to help or protect those around them or being able to trick or make trouble as a "bad guy." Some characters even walk the line of both "good" and "bad.”

Story by Addie, Jai, Rutledge, Thalia, and Finley

Characters: Lord DeLory, Snow King (Jai); Mermaid named Courtney, nickname Christopher Hall (Thalia); Mermaid named Jenna, nickname Erika (Addie); Super Everything (Rutledge); Mermaid named Petra, nickname Finley (Finley)

Jai: It starts at the snow where Lord DeLory lives. He starts at the snow place.

Rutledge: I make the snow. 

Finley: The mermaids swim in the ocean and they're trying to find a fish named squeaky. There's a boat on top and there's a pirate and a spider that's trying to get the fish. 

Thalia: Then the mermaids turned themselves into snow fairies. Then they go out into the rest of the snow and then they fly back home. 

Addie: And we sleep. There is a magic wand - that's how they transform.

Rutledge: I fix everything that's in danger.

Finley : Then after we sleep we turn into a person.

Addie: I'm going to turn into a mommy. 

Storyboard – drawn by Rutledge, Finley, Addie, and Thalia

Finley: Me too! We have babies (egg shakers) and they're in our nests. 

Jai: And I'm in the snow, with Super Everything.

Thalia: Now the snow fairies turn back into mermaids and then their babies are born. Then they give their magic to their magic wands.

Jai was the Snow Fairy, Lord DeLory. Super Everything came and was the king of everything. Mermaids came. The mermaids slept. While they were sleeping the mermaids turned into mommies and then their babies were born. Super Everything helped Lord DeLory clean the snow. 

Story by Divinia, Oliver, Alexa, and Nicholas

Characters: Super Everything (Nicholas); Super Everything (Oliver); Mama mermaid named Elsa (Alexa); Mama mermaid named Darcy (Divinia)

Alexa: The mermaids transform into snow fairies and we are friends. 

Nicholas: Oliver transforms into Super Everything when I touch him, and I turn into Super Everything when he touches me, like this (shows by touching his shoulder). We dig under the plants and find snow, and transform the dirt with magic powers into air and there's only snow. We don't want it to melt. 

Oliver: If we touch each other we transform into each other - we become one person! 

Alexa: We have mermaid magic tails that makes us transform into mermaid fairies. 

Divinia: And we have magic wands! 

Nicholas: We have powers to have lightening and it is so loud and then the mamas wake up. 

Divinia: No, we don't want to wake up! It has to be quiet lightening. 

Nicholas: OK, it can be quiet. 

Oliver: We make raindrops and hot lava and put out the lava.

Nicholas: All of the characters transform and then the earth - the ground chooses who you get to transform into. 

Divinia: The mermaids transform in the river-ocean, so that is near us (setting up the scene with blue material). Super Everything falls into the ocean...

Alexa: You could turn into a mermaid when you fall in the ocean...

Oliver: One person falls in and transforms into 2 people (the Super Everything characters).

Nicholas: And I transform into a scuba diver!!

The brief snippet above shows the children's active processes in setting up and working through the story, as well as how the transformation ideas have evolved as one child brings up new ideas (like how Alexa suggests that Nicholas could become a mermaid when he falls in the ocean.)

Our next steps will be to continue sharing the stories with the group and move into a whole group story once everyone has had the chance to explore transformation in stories in the small groups. We are interested to see how the characters, settings, action, and themes are impacted by an entire class of storytellers working together! 

To read Part 2 of this journal, as the children explore transformation via the artist Andrew Goldsworthy, see here.

I notice – I wonder

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