Paper

Thinking with Materials

Community Visit- Birrarung Marr

Paper is everywhere. Paper is capable of doing many things such as folding, scrunching and ripping(Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2024,p24). Paper has other purposes where it has a connection to place, allows children to be creative and imaginative when exploring the paper. Paper reacts in different environments. The bottom left photo shows when paper is wet it can easily tear or ruined.

 Materials plays an important role in the environment of a child’s learning. Pacini-Ketchabaw describes materials as the , “ bones of curriculum” in a developmental progress from exploring to representing. As children become familiar with the materials that they are exploring, they are encouraged to communicate, represent ideas and objects such as painting with a brush on the paper. The materials that children gravitate and explore into would encourage children to create interest, facilitate self-expression, enhance creativity and learning, develop critical thinking skills and build capacity and knowledge(Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2024, p3). The environment and materials can be the third teacher for children’s learning where the materials speak, evoke memories and narrate stories.

Loose Parts

Paint

NGV Visit

Indigenous Perspectives

Loose parts is mainly junk that is cheap and materials with no intended purpose which can allow children to be creative in manipulating and building things( Play Scotland, n.d).

At the start, I did not know what I wanted to create or use with these materials. I slowly created a rocket with the exploration of loose parts consisting of wood, small and medium sized cardboard tubings, tape and rope. It mainly involved constructing the materials together.

Clay Exploration

Clay Extension Activity

Environment of Clay

NGV Visit- Stop Motion Video

Possum Skin Pedagogy

Light exploration

Reflection/Conclusion

When in the space, it is unique as not used to the light projected around you as it promotes a sense of play where you are excited.