​When setting out expectations for a project with the children, Mrs. Farber and I seldom show them an example as they all want to make exactly what was shared with them and not create something of their own. With the catapult project we showed them pictures of a simple working catapult as many of them were unfamiliar with the term but did not show them how to make their own. The children had fun and did a great job figuring out how to use the materials given to complete a machine that would launch an object. We revisited the catapult idea again later but the second time provided a 'how-to' video and an expanded selection of materials to choose from and reminded them to revise their original ideas and improve upon them as needed. As so often happens when shown how to do something, most of them chose to try and make the exact same catapult from the video rather than playing and exploring with the materials and coming up with or building on their own ideas from the first session. Some of them had a difficult time expanding their thinking beyond their first try and others rose to the occasion and eagerly modified their catapults to make them bigger and better. We will continue to work on encouraging the children to change and rethink and tweek their ideas to improve on them as the year goes on.
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Mrs. Bowden &
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