We opened up our big pumpkin this morning and found the seeds and pulp inside. Like scientists we used our magnifying glasses to look closely so we could make good observations. We picked out the seeds from the pulp using tweezers. Some comments from the group:
“This is a fun centre game!”
“I shared the magnifying glass”
“I got one and I didn’t get any goo on it”
“I love doing this!”
“sticky seed”
“this is hard”
“I don’t like doing seeds”
Overall I liked this centre. The student feedback was mixed- Most students really loved it. One or two found it to be difficult. One student in particular didn’t want to try having a turn at this centre. After encouraging him further we eventually found out that it wasn’t that he was not interested in the activity, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to use the tweezers and everyone would see that he couldn’t do it. After lots of reassurance that I would help him he reluctantly gave it a try. After a few minutes he was laughing and having a great time- he thought it was a lot of fun. In fact, I had a hard time getting him to wash his hands and leave the centre! We learned that sometimes when something is very hard it can be fun because then it’s a challenge.
In my opinion the students who have difficulty with this type of activity are the ones who it can really benefit. I know this type of fine motor activity strengthens the muscles in children’s fingers and hands. This practice will benefit the students when we do more printing towards the end of the year and in grade 1.
What I liked:
-hands on
-sensory
-fine motor
-hand-eye coordination
-thematic
Next time:
Larger space so more students can participate at a time allowing for longer turns (less pressure to rotate through the whole class)
The quotes from your students are wonderful. The tweezers were a very good idea and understandably scary for a young one who has not had experience with them and felt others would notice mistakes. It is great that he gave it a try and built a bit of confidence around trying something new even when it looks hard and others are watching. Your centres and the pumpkin journey you have been creating has provided new experiences, learning, and engagement for all your students. Well done!