Take the Children's Points of View

In the Study Guide that accompanies the beautiful and fascinating book, Cup, (part of the Reimagining Our Work collection, curated by Ann Pelo and Margie Carter), Pelo and Carter write: "The story of how cups lured children, their families and educators into pursuing relationships with materials, testing their theories and representing their ideas, is compelling. The bold images of children’s cup constructions, pulse with energy. You might be tempted to rush out to purchase a case of colorful cups, hoping to replicate the investigation of cups in your classrooms." But, the authors explain, there’s much more to be explored. They invite all educators to "make their thinking, questioning and decision-making visible."  The Study Guide includes a series of questions, some of which (such as the two questions below), could be applied to any situation where children are investigating materials:

"What are the children trying to figure out with their work with [fill in the material you are using]?

What understandings, misunderstandings, and experiences are the children drawing on?

What are the children building on each other’s ideas, perspectives, and contributions?"

P.S. If you're still needing inspiration for Mud Day, be sure to check out this great video from Bright Horizons as well as these ideas from Bonnie's Global Cafe on the World Forum Foundation website.

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