The children immediately ran to the map, they gathered around it closing in tight. There was a frenzy of action as each child leaned in more and more. Soon the children were on the table! 

Our umbrella project of listening pairs so well with how we structure our learning at school. Each day, many many thoughts and ideas are expressed by the children and we, as teachers are always listening to determine the next step in their learning journey. What will capture their interest? What may change a direction of thinking? What will encourage deeper thoughts or even further questions?

What will be the next successful provocation?

In math, the children had been very interested in some large number facts involving rivers and lakes. Their curiosity led us to explore maps in their math books. As they were exploring we noticed them not only finding out where the places in the math lesson more but also noticing other places, asking questions and sharing thoughts.

We have had a huge world map on the wall since the beginning of the year that Max gave us to plot his family’s boat trip, but as so often with things being up a while it had become simply wallpaper. So, we decided to place it on the table top (it took up 3 tables!) to be ready for them as they returned from a break.

I couldn’t capture everything but these are their words!

Xander:  This is actually where some people would cut through to buy silk. Then people owned it, I don’t know if people have to pay to go through.

Hailey:  Where is Bora Bora?

Sam:  I found Alaska

Xander: Around here is the Persian Gulf

Juliet: There’s Philadelphia

Hailey: Philadelphia is where my brother’s girlfriend lives

Xander: Turkey was destroyed so they made a new Turkey.

Algeria! Greenland! Russia! Iceland! Las Vegas!

Robbie: Iceland is green and Greenland is icy – people named them that way for a strategy.

Hawaii!   Ethiopia!

Lila: Where’s Miami? – Oh right there!

Robbie: Miami, Florida

“I was born here.”

Robbie: If you want to see Antartica – look here.

Max: There’s Barcelona, Spain!

Juliette: I found a Qy word! Q-Y-Z-L-O-R-D-A – it is in Kazakstan

Africa is all of this?

Spain, Spain!

Romania!

Egypt!

Robbie: – look my left foot is on Australia!

Petersburg and St Petersburg!

Saudi Arabia!

Lila: “I want to find Chengdu in China.”

Juliette: “I want to live in Europe.”

Sam: “I want to live in Santa Barbara, they shot my favorite TV show there – Psych.”

Robbie: “I found the largest lake in the world – The Caspian Sea!”

It was wonderful to see the children embracing the map, their enthusiasm encouraged them to get ever closer, to climb onto the map and explore it with their hands and feet as well as their eyes. To share stories, to spot both familiar and unfamiliar places. To share snippets of knowledge and ask more questions.

So we are listening again, and realize that very much so, the children want to know their world.

The post The huge map! appeared first on Sabot at Stony Point.