How does rain work?
The class of 2011 has been hard at work trying to understand the “puddle” that became a “lake”, a “big big lake”.
We have been asking questions each day, and as the children draw, they explain what they are thinking. It is difficult to frame the question ‘just so’, but we try. The result is very telling – you can see how the children are applying previous knowledge to their reasoning process. As we repeat this experience, the children are becoming more and more adept at explaining what they mean, and why. On this day we asked:
What happens to the lake when it rains?
Ma – The small pond becomes a big pond. It will be a big circle. Then the mud is going to come and it’s gonna be grumpy its gonna say Roar Roar. The mud will come in our class because the whale will bite him. The mud will come and eat all of our papers.
Ba – The pond gets tired when it rains so much.
Dry – It goes big big big bigger. It goes bigger and then smaller.
Ha – So many water in pond. Shark in there The clouds are coming and then the rain comes and then the sun is coming. So many water in the pond!
LoB– The rain came and stepped on the big puddle. The rain came from the sky, it hit the lake. The lines get bigger and bigger and bigger and faster and faster, a thunder storm comes, when it rains so much. The wind- it is blowing!
Nic – It’s getting bigger and bigger and humungous. And if it gets bigger, we can’t go to our circle area. We can’t eat outside snack! Then we have to eat snack at school. Maybe the truck can come and pull the lake away.
Sama – the puddles get bigger and bigger when it rains. See the rainclouds?
Dryden – This big lake, the rain comes and there’s little and then a big one. When the sun comes, the sun goes on the puddle. The rain comes from the sky, it gets bigger. Then it gets smaller because the rain goes back to the sky.
What happens to the lake when the sun comes out?
Sam – The very big lake, we see from the bridge? A very big lake. There’s a lot of water. There are two lakes! The small lake is getting to the big lake. The lake will get smaller. I don’t know when. I don’t know how. It just gets smaller.
LoB – When the sun comes out, the lake grows, it grows and grows like the tree.
Sama– Rain comes down and it gets bigger. Sun makes the water. I’m going to add lines to decorate it and make it pretty. Rain makes it bigger.
Ma – It dries out the water and then it eats grapes and then it gets tired and then the water goes to sleep
Ba – The sun comes out with the apples. The water is going home. Yes, the water goes home up to the sky.
Ew – Gets hotter, like making a cake.
