In one group, we played tic-tac-toe. But instead of using Xs and Os, we played in a more environmentally friendly way! We used reusable boards and rocks! First, we had to categorize our rocks into two groups. We could sort them based on color, texture, size, or any other category we wanted. Then we could play over and over with a friend - and we didn't have to waste paper!
Our other group worked with sand. Using a matrix of water and corn starch, students build sand sculptures. We've all used sand and water to build - and now we remember how hard it is!
In the Art Studio, we've been working with clay - a material we just learned is a very small sized rock! Clay is certainly easier to work with than sand. We discussed why that might be, and hypothesized that the smaller sized rock had less surface area so it could stick to other rocks easier. Next week, we'll explore clay in the classroom too. We will find things made out of clay, sand, and larger rocks in our world and discuss why certain rock sizes might be better for what is being built.
We got messy, we had a lot of fun, and now our brains are thinking about rocks, their uses, and their strengths and weaknesses as a building material.
