# data[].attributes.headline
Week 01 - Paper                                                                                             

# data[].attributes.subject
Week 01 - Paper                                                                                             

# data[].attributes.body
History of paper

Ts'ai Lun developed paper in China 2200 years ago, which revolutionised communication. Paper is a versatile material that can be utilised almost everywhere, and we can no longer imagine a world without it. Lun mixed hemp, rag and mulberry bark with water and mashed it into a pulp and pressed out the liquid and hung the thin mat to dry in the sun. It took 300 years, which means Lun's discovery reached the Middle East in the 8th century, and another 500 years for the first paper mill to be established in Spain, followed by mills all over Europe. In the late 15th century, England began producing enormous quantities of paper, which was used in the printing of significant publications such as the Bible and legal papers, and it also supplied the colonies with paper for many years. The first American paper mill was created in 1690 utilising Chinese methods of paper production, but as demand grew, mills began to use tree fibre for paper production as wood is less expensive and more abundant than cloth. Paper is now created from recycled paper and trees that have been grown in a sustainable manner. Paper mills will use our recycled paper to manufacture notebooks, paper grocery bags, cardboard boxes, and other paper products.

(American Forest and Paper Association. 2021)

# data[].attributes.body
Paper Paper Paper

Oh, Paper!

I’m talking to you

Back in time, you were invented

with rags, hemp, and mulberry bark

And now to the days

Of making with trees

In the paper mills

Turning Newspaper and Magazines

Paper, it even sounds cool.

Paper Paper Paper

Oh, Paper!

I’m talking to you

You can flip, float, glide, tear

And many more

You are such a versatile beast

Paper Paper Paper

Oh, Paper!

I’m talking to you

Bring back the golden memories of mine

With you as a little princess

With a little paper crown

Oh, Paper! The cherishable phase

Paper planes, Christmas decorations

Wrapping paper for presents

To make my little sister’s day

And to the days of adulthood

Blank paper ready to write

The paperless office is never to be

Paper for all mankind

Paper Paper Paper

Oh, paper!

I’m talking to you

The relationship between you

And your friend, Water

Is amazing

Too little water

Won’t let you stick

Too much water

let you slide down

just enough water

let you hold in place

oh, Paper!

There’s nothing like you!

By ;   Imasha kottayawattage

# data[].attributes.body
Paper is a versatile material. Paper flaps, floats, glides, hovers, soars, tears, rips, sways, flies, rolls, gathers, crumples, crimps, accepts, folds, bends, covers, swishes, flutters, pauses, bunches, scatters, yields. We breathe it in, we blow it out. We launch it, chew it, paste it, wear it, elevate it, wrap with it, read it, draw on it, flip it, collect it, paint it, propel it, drape it, colour it. We open, envelop, fill, empty, catch etc

(Pacini-Ketchabaw et al, 2016).

Crumpling, folding, rolling, cutting, pasting are some of the techniques used for the above creations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Colour changing walking water - paper towel experiment

# data[].attributes.headline
Relationship of paper with other materials

# data[].attributes.subject
Relationship of paper with other materials

# data[].attributes.body
Paper is revealed in all its transformability. I joined in the rhythm of figuring out the relationship of paper with water. I used red and brown coloured water to make the middle cup yellow through paper towel. It was fun watching how coloured water travelled through paper towel.

# data[].attributes.body
I crumbled a piece of paper and gently opened it most of the way and realised and observed the ridges and the valley and painted it with water colours.

# data[].attributes.body
When we first started talking about paper, we quickly realised how versatile it is. I did a lot of experimentation with paper. I collected several newspapers from the recycling bin that had previously served their purpose. Although it was not designed for children, we can interrupt the flow of materials and try and understand the paper because it is a material worthy of our attention. I created a tree out of a newspaper. I wondered, what would happen if I provided newspapers to kids. “Will they crumble it, tear it apart, or throw it away?” As educators, we must provide a material-rich environment for the children. Children have a variety of languages that educators may help them develop, and some of them they can discover on their own (Artists at the Centre. n.d.). According to EYLF outcome 01, children should be open to new challenges and discoveries to build their emerging autonomy, interdependence, resilience, and sense of agency (Early years learning framework (EYLF), 2009). This reminded me of an incident that occurred at a childcare centre where I work. Many of the kids were painting and creating different pictures on their own when a little boy went outside and tore the paper into pieces and tossed them into the water bucket. She soon realised that the paper was floating in the water while she was observing it. ‘Oh! "Take a look at my boats!". children discover things on their own. As educators, we should listen to them, let them speak instead of giving them every instruction as most of the schools and the culture tell children to think without hands. (Loris Malaguzzi, 2016)

# data[].attributes.body
Junk (loose parts) are open-ended materials that children can adapt, design, and change in a variety of ways, such as cardboard boxes, buckets, trays, milk crates, and PVC pipes. Playing with loose parts improves problem-solving skills while also encouraging imagination and creativity.

# data[].attributes.body
Junk Junk Junk

Oh, junk!

Children view you

In new and interesting ways

A wrapping paper tube

To whatever their imagination choose

A canal, magic wand, snake

What it could not be

They made you valuable materials

By Imasha Kottayawattage

# data[].attributes.body
The amount and types of variables in any environment are directly related to the degree of inventiveness and creativity as well as the possibility of discovery.

(Simon Nicholson, Artist)

# data[].attributes.headline
Exploring sound with Junk (loose parts- Music?)

# data[].attributes.subject
Exploring sound with Junk (loose parts- Music?)

# data[].attributes.headline
Junk materials were used as one of the artworks on my community visit.

# data[].attributes.subject
Junk materials were used as one of the artworks on my community visit.

# data[].attributes.body
Most trendy toys do not provide endless entertainment. My sister in Srilanka always says that her child/my niece is less interested in toys and more interested in household goods. At Mini Maddern, I had my first encounter with loose parts. It was a wonderful experience. The children utilised plain cardboard boxes as playhouses and whatever else their imagination came up with. I wondered, "Will I ever think of the cardboard box as a playhouse?" Their creations could be completely different from most adult designs for them. Some children were using cardboard boxes as blocks to build robots. Children's curiosity and desire to rediscover new things, as well as persistent and concentrated learning, are frequently noticed, and the child's agency is evident through loose parts play. According to EYLF outcome 05, the children are effective communicators when children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media, it is evident as children playing with loose parts would lead to experimenting with new ways of expressing ideas and meaning using a range of media. (Early years learning framework (EYLF), 2009)

# data[].attributes.body
Loose parts work best when used as part of a collaborative, inclusive, and rights-based strategy that includes children and young people at every stage. Children's thoughts, feelings, and views can be listened, acted upon, and included through this process. It is empowering for everyone involved.

# data[].attributes.body
Clay is a natural material that has been used for utilitarian and artistic ceramics for thousands of years and is one of the oldest building materials on the planet. Clay tablets were the earliest writing medium used. Clay is a great material for enquiry through play, hence it plays a big role in early education.

(Art Bar, 2019)

# data[].attributes.body
Clay is a versatile material. Can pinch it, poke it, press it, shape it, throw it, scrape it, form it, lift it. Clay is incredibly versatile. Clay can be sliced, engraved, embellished, glazed, washed, carried, burnished, heaved, fired, dropped, shaped, sculpted, soaked, sprayed, hollowed, altered, polished, painted, pounded, flattened, carved, transformed. Clay moves, wobbles, weeps, sticks, shrinks, dry, extends,
(Pacini-Ketchabaw, Veronica, et al. 2016.)

# data[].attributes.body
According to Froebel, clay is a vital material for children that support creative development and all areas of development. Playdough is used instead of clay in most childcare centres. Clay is distinct from playdough in that it has an earthy smell and a cool feel to it, allowing us to build more intricate objects. The weight of the clay also allows us to build higher structures, making it a unique experience. While I was working in kindergarten, the children and the educators were sitting and playing with play. I noticed one kid in the corner making a birthday cake and sticking some sticks on top of it while singing "happy birthday to you" with other kids. Clay aids in the learning of new art techniques and the development of art literacy since natural materials attract the interest of both children and adults. According to EYLF outcome 02, children are connected and contributed to the world.  It is visible when children have access to natural materials in their environment, such as clay, allowing them to connect with nature and appreciate the environment. (Early years learning framework (EYLF), 2009)

# data[].attributes.body
Light is a natural energy that makes us see things and make things visible. Light play let children to investigate how light interacts with different materials and explore numerous artistic and scientific theories such as shadow, colour, texture, and shape.

(Ipswich art gallery, 2017)

# data[].attributes.body
When the object moves closer to the light, bigger the shadow will be and when it moves away, closer the shadow will be.

# data[].attributes.body
Children can use light play to explore their artistic potential and learn about what occurs when light is cast on various materials. According to Reggio Emilia approach, we should create a creative environment that stimulates experimentation, discovery-based learning, and collaborative play (BEPS Reggio study tour. 2012). While we were playing with the kids at the kindergarten, one of them was holding a dinosaur and said, "Can you see my dinosaur's shadow?" which shows the signs of having mastered the concept of shadow of at early age. Children love looking at their own reflections as well as other people's reflections, and they are intrigued about the reflected pictures they see and want to touch them to discover whether they are real. "What if I show the kids how the light on a CD can produce a rainbow?" I wondered. "Will they notice it's a rainbow?" Children might describe the colours of the rainbow.    Light play is something I haven't seen in the childcare centre where I work, and I'm excited to practise it with the kids. Every aspect of our world captivates the interest of children. This reminded me of my childhood, when I used to chase my own shadow and make animal shadows with my hands.

# data[].attributes.body
The teacher is listening

The environment is listening

The materials are listening

Continuity of experiences

(BEPS Reggio study tour. 2012)

# data[].attributes.body
American Forest and Paper Association. 2021. The History of Paper. [online] Available at: <https://www.afandpa.org/news/2021/history-paper> [Accessed 14 March 2022].

Artists at the Centre. n.d. The Project - Reggio Emilia - The Fundamentals of the Reggio Approach - Educators and Professional Artists collaborating withchildren - Child Care - Daycare - ECE - Early Childhood Education - Artists �visual art - Hamilton, Ontario Canada - Reggio Emilia - Northern Italy -listening and learning - One community's exploration of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. [online] Available at: <http://www.artistsatthecentre.ca/project.html> [Accessed 14 March 2022].

Art in early childhood. 2016. [online] Available at: <https://artinearlychildhood.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Can-I-make-it-with-mud-clay.pdf> [Accessed 15 March 2022].

BEPS Reggio study tour. 2012. Ray of Light Atelier and The Wonders of Learning Lecture. [online] Available at: <http://bepsreggiotour.blogspot.com/2012/04/wonders-of-learning-auditorium-tuesday.html> [Accessed 14 March 2022].

Pacini-Ketchabaw, V, Kind, S & Kocher, LLM 2016, Encounters with materials in early childhood education, Routledge.

ISBN: 9781317588573

Pelo, A 2016, The language of art: inquiry-based studio practices in early childhood settings, Redleaf Press.

ISBN: 9781605544588

Early Years Framework. (2018), Belonging, Being, Becoming the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, viewed< https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-02/belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.pdf>

History of paper. 2022. Invention of Papermaking. [online] Available at: <http://www.historyofpaper.net/> [Accessed 15 March 2022].

Loris Malaguzzi, 2016. The Hundred Languages- A Maker's Mindset. [online] Youtube- Mindy Slaughter. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnQcF7x34V0> [Accessed 14 March 2022].

Ipswich art gallery. 2017. Light play. [online] Available at: <https://www.ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/LightPlay-2017-Education-Resource.pdf> [Accessed 14 March 2022].

Laura Grace Weldon. 2018. Loose Parts: What You Need To Know. [online] Available at: <https://lauragraceweldon.com/2018/09/25/loose-parts-what-you-need-to-know/amp/> [Accessed 15 March 2022].

Play Wales. 2017. Resources for playing – providing loose parts to support children’s play. [online] Available at: <https://www.playaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/LibraryDownloads/loose-parts-toolkit.pdf> [Accessed 15 March 2022].

Rucci, B., 2019. Clay 101: Clay Exploration with Young Children. [online] ARTBAR. Available at: <https://www.artbarblog.com/clay-101-clay-exploration-with-young-children/> [Accessed 14 March 2022].

Reggio Children. n.d. The Secrets of Paper Atelier. [online] Available at: <https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/ateliers/i-segreti-della-carta-en/> [Accessed 15 March 2022].

South Australian department of Education. n.d. The power of loose parts. [online] Available at: <https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/npsa-familyday-care-loose-parts.pdf> [Accessed 15 March 2022].

You clever monkey. 2022. BEAUTIFUL STUFF - A PRESCHOOL PROJECT. [online] Available at: <https://www.youclevermonkey.com/2014/07/beautiful-stuff-project.html> [Accessed 15 March 2022].