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History:

The word paper originated from papyrus a plant that originated in Egypt. Paper was first created in Lei Yang by Ts’ai Lun who was a Chinese Imperial court official. “Ts'ai mixed mulberry bark, hemp and rags with water, mashed it into pulp, pressed out the liquid, and hung the thin mat to dry in the sun” (American Forest and Paper Association, 2021). Many years later after Ts’ai Lun’s discovery, paper slowly spread to the middle east, Europe, and then eventually to other parts of the world. Paper at first was widely recognized as a “basic material for written and printed communication” (Science Clarified, n.d.), but now today, it is recognized as a versatile material with many uses.

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH PAPER ?

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH PAPER ?

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What is paper?

What could paper become?

What could paper be used for?

What is paper capable of?

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During my paper inquiry sessions, I wanted to create different shapes with paper. In one specific session, I wanted to create the shape of a circle in two different ways. One way I wanted to create a circle was by drawing it, and another way I wanted to create the circle was by cutting it. When creating a circle with the material paper, there were many things I did. I drew, traced, cut, colored, glued, and twisted the paper. During my process of creating a circle with paper, I realized that nothing about it was “static and everything was in motion” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 31).

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After engaging with paper, and having experimented with paper throughout the sessions, I have realized that paper is movement. Paper “flaps, floats, guides, hovers, soars, glides, crimps, accepts, folds, bends and yields” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 31). I came to understand that working with paper “means one moves with the material in a continuous motion, joining forces with it, responding to its inclinations”(Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 34). After engaging with paper, I felt as if I could do whatever I wanted with it and to it. Paper was responding to all my inclinations and instructions, my bond with paper was uncomplicated and effortless, it was as if I was one with the paper. I felt that the questions I had prior to working with paper, were answered. I also came to a conclusion, that paper was fragile, we had to be careful with paper, as it could easily tear. I came to this conclusion because during sessions whenever I was too rough with paper, it would tear.  Furthermore, my paper inquiry sessions made me realize how paper is art, and how art has many purposes. “To comfort the dead and to awaken the living; to know migrations, of seasons and birds and fish; to feel the power of color and shape and to fill an unspoken hunger for community. To give courage, use the heart, to risk and never be afraid of tenderness or the absurd. And to gather joy" (Ann Pelo, 2016, pp.3). As a future early childhood teacher I hope to explore paper in my classroom to cultivate and "strengthen necessary dispositions in young children such as persistence, creativity, problem-solving, and flexibility" (Ann Pelo, 2016, pp.3).

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Prior to engaging with paper I was extremely confident about the paper as a material. This was because paper has been present in my life for a very long time. I have used paper in all stages of my life, as a means of writing, communicating, creating artwork, and studying. I enjoyed working with paper in all my week one sessions and felt extremely peaceful, as working with paper was a very smooth and easy process for me.

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HISTORY:
The theory of loose parts was developed in 1972 by Simon Nicolson. Simon Nicolson believed that loose parts are “materials that can be moved around, designed, redesigned, and tinkered with, create infinitely more opportunities for creative engagement than static materials and environments” (Pam Maclean n.d.). Early childhood learning centers find junk/loose parts very beneficial for children, this is because children are able to express their creativity through these materials. Loose parts also allow children to increase their “critical thinking and problem-solving skills” (“Loose Parts Play,” 2020).

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH JUNK :

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH JUNK :

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WHAT CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS JUNK?

CAN JUNK/LOOSE PARTS BE USED TO MAKE ART?

WOULD JUNK SUPPORT CHILDREN IN THEIR PLAY?

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When creating with junk I cut, tied, knotted, moved, placed, and flipped the junk. In majority of my inquiry sessions, I wanted to create different types of shapes with the junk, however in one specific session  I wanted to create a bracelet, so to create a bracelet I used strings to make a knot, I kept repeating this action until it was long enough to fit my hand.

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At first, I was very confused because I didn't know if I could create anything with junk, but after interacting with the materials I realized that I could make anything with junk and that the options were limitless, all we had to do was use our imagination. My experiences with junk taught me how art can be made in any way and with anything. The interactions I had with junk allowed me to increase my problem-solving skills and provided me with an opportunity to engage in free play. Just like Graziella Brighenti an educator in Reggio Emilia, I believe that materials like junk “have a right to be listened to and understood, that they have the power to invoke in us our own experiences (Gandini and Kaminsky, 2005). Through discussing the readings around loose parts with my peers I have come to the conclusion that materials like loose parts “seem to have their own inner life and their own story to tell” (Ann Pelo, 2016, pp.121) and that they “ can only be transformed through the encounter with people” (Ann Pelo, 2016, pp.121). As a future early childhood teacher I hope to include junk in the classroom so that children are given a chance to explore the different materials that are available and so that they are given a chance to be creative and adventurous.

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My experience with junk was a very interesting one. I had gone through a range of emotions throughout the inquiry sessions. At first, I felt quite frustrated and irritated because I thought that I could not create anything with junk, but when I let my imagination and creativity loose I was able to create objects that I initially planned to create.  As a result of me being able to create objects with junk, I felt quite happy and content.

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HISTORY:

Clay is “very fine particles of dirt which float in a stream or river and then sink to the bottom, where they press on each other and stick together”(Karen Carr, 2017). Clay was first discovered in the prehistoric times by people. People from the prehistoric time used clay to make pottery. Clay at first was widely used by people to make pottery but now clay is material that has many uses, it remains “among the cheapest and most widely used materials, to make items ranging from art objects to bricks and cookware” (New World Encyclopedia, n.d.).

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH CLAY?

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH CLAY?

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What is clay?

What could clay become?

What is clay capable of?

Would clay be easy to mold?

How different would clay be from paper and loose parts?

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Throughout the inquiry sessions, I wanted to create different types of shapes with clay. I created different shapes out of clay by pinching, pressing, lifting, shaping, forming, and poking the clay. When creating with clay, I found that the clay was drying up quickly,  thus my peers advised me to use water to soften up the clay, through the help of my friends I was able to work against the problems I had around clay.

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After participating in week 3 inquiry sessions about clay and after having experimented with the material clay, I can say that I have learnt many things regarding the material clay. I realized that we had to “understand what clay makes possible, we had to feel what clay is capable of, we had to listen to clay’s demands, work with clay’s problems and work against them” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 72). Personally, I found that clay was very different from paper and junk because it was unforgiving and hard to manipulate, it would easily dry up and crack, and as a result of this, I became very stressed and frustrated with the material clay. Though after playing around with clay and researching about clay, I realized that clay responded to my movements as I worked with it and that it “demands transformation through its easy malleability and flexibility” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 72). As a future early childhood teacher my intention is to "help children develop the skills and knowledge that will allow them to use clay with confidence to express their ideas and experiences" (Ann Pelo, 2016, pp.111). I also hope to invite collaboration in the classroom by suggesting that "children work together to discover how they can transform the shape of a block of clay and to lift or turn over the block of clay" (Ann Pelo, 2016, pp.96). Furthermore, after discussing the readings around clay with my peers I realized that clay “demands something different in each distinct and equally dynamic ecology” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 65).

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My experience with clay was not an easy one, when I first started engaging with clay I felt quite hopeless because my clay was drying up and cracking. Though through the help of my friends and through the motivation I received, I was able to work against the problems I had with clay, I persevered and didn't give up.

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HISTORY:

“Light refers to electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye” (Oxford Instruments,2019). “The search for the true nature of light goes back centuries and includes contributions from some of the most illustrious scientists in history” (Ker Than, 2007). There are many different sources of light, both artificial and natural. Some natural sources of light include the sun and lightning. Artificial sources of light include light bulbs and fireworks. Light also affects people’s moods, for example, dim lights give a sense of relaxation and calmness, and brighter lights intensify emotions.

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH LIGHT?

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QUESTIONS I HAD PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH LIGHT?

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Can light be used to create art?

Would light be beneficial for children's play?

How different would light be from the other materials I investigated?

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I wanted to create shadows from the reflection of light. When I was creating shadows with light, I moved, placed, turned, and flipped the light around. I also explored natural sources of light and the shadows that came as a result of these natural sources of light.

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Shadows of artificial light

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NATURAL SOURCES OF LIGHT THAT I EXPLORED

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NATURAL SOURCES OF LIGHT THAT I EXPLORED

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After participating in my week 4 light inquiry sessions, I can say that I have discovered many things regarding the material light. Materials like light “live, speak gesture, and call to us” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 10), they “evoke memories, narrate stories, invite actions, and communicate ideas” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 10). When creating with light I also came to the conclusion that light has its “own demands, its own questions, its own concerns, and its own ethos” (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 10). As a future early childhood teacher I hope to promote free play in children by using light, as I believe that the “child’s own instincts and powers furnish the material and give the starting point of all education”(Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 11). I believe that by children engaging with the material light, it would contribute to their "social, physical, emotional, and creative development" (Pacini Ketchabaw, 2016, pp. 11). I enjoyed doing my light inquiries because I was attracted to light, light was intriguing to me because it was always bright and beaming. Furthermore light is extremely special to me because it holds stories and brings back many memories. One of my most favorite memories of light was from my childhood, as a child I use to have a night light star projector which use to project stars on the ceiling of my room, I loved gazing at the stars before bedtime.

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My experience with light was a positive one, light has always been a big part of my life and is a material which I am very familiar with. Throughout my light inquiry sessions, I was excited and full of joy, this was because I always wanted to explore light as I was intrigued by its beauty.