Tag: STEM

Tips to making Story Stones

Making Story Stones

Let your imagination run wild when creating story stones! There are almost endless amounts of ways to use them with equally endless amounts of ways to decorate and create them. Below are some suggestions to help get you started. Click here for more examples and insights into using story stones.

Types of Stones 

Any color, shape, size will work. If you are gluing images to the stone, a smooth rock might work better. If a stone is going to be painted, feel free to incorporate the shape of the rock into your design.  Use the shape or texture of the stone to inspire the image or how you use the rock.  If the rock has a rough spot on it, maybe that can be the sand in a picture of a beach. Some stones have natural stripes and striations, try to integrate those stripes and patterns.  

Landscaping stores and hardware stores often have inexpensive stones for sale that come in a variety of colors and textures. Stones called “river rocks” will be the smoothest. If your school has rocks outside the building and it is ok to take a few, have the children in your class go on a “rock hunt” and pick their own rocks to decorate. 

How to Decorate 

These are a few suggestions to get you started. The sky’s the limit! Make sure to include the children in the process.

Prepping your stone

It is best to wash and dry the stone first if it is dirty. Some people like to paint their stones white or another solid color so that the image is clear and they have a canvas-like background to work with.  

Paint

Paint pens work really well to decorate stones. Paint used with brushes, sponges, stencils, and stamps work well too. You’ll want to get a waterproof, permanent paint so that the stones can be used outside or even in your water table. 

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Examples shown here are created by using paint, paint pens and stickers

Paper Images/Stickers

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A great option in creating story stones is to glue images directly onto the stones. You can find pictures from magazines, the internet and even use your favorite stickers. 

Textures

Textured stones offer a sensorial experience for children. Think about adding sand, small sticks, grass, leaves to the stones. 

Alternatives to Stones

There are great alternatives to stones that can be used to create a similar effect. Wood slices or tree cookies as they are sometimes called, work well.  Jar tops are an inexpensive and great option as well. 

Finishing Your Stone 

If you use paper, stickers, or textures on your stone you will want to use modge podge or a finishing spray to waterproof your stone and to ensure the decoration stays. 

Intention

As I said earlier, story stones can be used in endless ways. When making story stones, you should consider a wide variety of themes, topics and images. If you are making story stones with faces or people on them, make sure  to create stones showing diversity in: skin color, age, gender, and ability. Stones can be created to support topics such as math, social/emotional themes, science, literacy, and social stories.  

Math

  • Numbers, shapes, compare/contrast, ordering/sequencing, grouping (think of the Sesame Street game, “One of these things is not like the other”), telling time (clocks), patterns, directions, maps, spacial practice: use arrows to decorate the stones to create a series of directions
    • Examples: ladybugs with different numbers of dots on them; silly monsters with different numbers of horns, eyes etc.

Social/Emotional

  • Stones with different faces showing different emotions

Science

  • Create stones showing different kinds of weather, plants, animals

Integrating Different Academic Disciplines though Havdalah

Havdalah requires participants to use all five senses: touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. What better way for young children to use all five senses and learn about Havdalah than to incorporate more natural elements. Mixing elements traditionally used during the Havdalah ceremony with complementary materials will add another layer to the exploration.

Traditionally, the spice box is filled with dried spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. Try offering fresh herbs in addition to dried spices for children to explore. Offer whole and ground spices so they can compare and contrast them. I love using whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks and comparing it to the ground spices.  Children and educators can discuss the entire process of herbs and spices: where the herbs come from, how it is grown, the process of drying and then crushing the spices.

Incorporating and discussing different spices and herbs into Havdalah offers opportunities to experience a sacred ceremony through multiple avenues. Just like we are supposed to use all 5 of our senses in the ceremony, we can use and explore different subject areas: math, science, art, social studies, technology and literacy to enhance the experience. 

Here are some ways to incorporate different academic disciplines into your classroom exploration:

Math

  • Compare and contrast dried herbs to fresh herbs
  • Categorize and sort herbs based on smells, tastes, color etc.

Science

  • Study the process of herbs and spices from growth to store
  • Explore 5 senses
  • Grow your own herbs in the class

Art

  • Draw using the herbs (nutmeg and cinnamon sticks can be used to make brown marks)
  • Create a collage using  herbs/spices
  • Draw a still life

Literacy

  • Create a poem about how the children feel during Havdalah. What is smells like, looks like etc.
  • Practice singing the prayers

Technology

  • Use a postal and mortar to crush spices
  • Use a magnifying glass to take a closer look

 

These pictures show how educators explored Havdalah spices during a professional development session. The session encouraged play and using materials in a different or unexpected way. 

 

Exploring STEM using Art

When I walk into early childhood classrooms, I often see wonderful art explorations. The teachers offer a wide variety of materials and open-ended opportunities to explore and create with the materials. When I ask about what types of STEM explorations the children experience, the responses are less enthusiastic. When I facilitate professional development sessions for KODO Kids, I ask the participants, “who has a background in STEM subjects?” and “do you feel comfortable offering STEM experiences to young children?” The responses are often “No” to both questions, with a few exceptions. The teachers report that they are more comfortable offering art, literacy and dramatic play opportunities. Those teachers are sometimes frustrated because they don’t know how to present STEM explorations in early childhood classrooms. 

 

By employing a few key strategies, such as integrating materials in a different and unexpected way, using “I wonder” statements, and  asking questions that focus on STEM ideas, STEM concepts can be seamlessly integrated into classroom explorations using art.  

 

Kodo Kids has wonderful materials to encourage STEM explorations, and I encourage educators to use the materials in all facets of the classroom. My son and I attend a toddler art class and the teacher is great at using materials in creative and open ended ways. During one class, she used the Kodo Kids arches with paint and cars. The materials were set up for the children to explore and use as they wished.

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To integrate STEM concepts and learning into this art activity, educators can facilitate learning through questions that explore physics, math, and engineering concepts. Here are just a few examples of concepts to explore in this situation:

 

  • Compare and contrast 
    • Speed of cars, which car goes faster
    • Length of tracks
    • Does the color of paint affect the speed of car
    • What, if any, variables affect car’s speed
    • Using the arches convexly and concavely  
  • Counting/measuring
    • How long it takes for the cars to cross arch
    • Length of track
    • How many cars can fit on track
    • Velocity of car

Asking questions that start with “I wonder…” will facilitate exploration of STEM concepts. In order to build an affinity to and level of comfort with STEM, adults and children need to learn how to ask questions in addition to feeling comfortable discovering the answers. It is also important to use real terminology with children. The earlier children are exposed to STEM vocabulary, the more comfortable they will be with it. A few words that are useful in the arch and car scenario:

  • Velocity
  • Speed
  • Incline
  • Hypothesis
  • Theory
  • Estimate
  • Momentum
  • Convex/Concave

I encourage educators to take on new challenges one goal at a time. For example: use one material in a different way than originally intended per week,  ask one question that integrates STEM concepts or introduce one new STEM vocabulary word per week. Practicing and integrating one goal at a time will make the goal approachable and achievable. Integrating experiences and concepts that you might not feel as comfortable with, such as STEM, with experiences you feel more comfortable with, such as art, will also make it more approachable and increase the chance of success.