A student shared his reasoning about which group of dinosaurs would win the battle.
During Free Centre Time, this child chose the basket of dinosaurs off the shelves. Children are encouraged to decide for themselves, what and where they want to explore.
The student had all the dinosaurs sorted in two lines, facing each other (at the carpet area). He seemed deep in thought while looking at the dinosaurs. The teacher asked an “open-ended” question, “What’s happening with all the dinosaurs?” He was enthusiastic with his answers and appeared excited to share his knowledge. He seemed to know quite a bit about dinosaurs.
He sorted the dinosaurs by categories: Herbivores and Carnivores. He stated that the Carnivores eat meat, and can eat the other dinosaurs. He knew there were more Herbivore dinosaurs than the Carnivores. Because of this, he said the Herbivores would win the battle.
He seemed focused in his play and engaged in how he set up the dinosaurs. He also knew the names of each species, i.e., Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, etc. He pointed out the spikes on the Stegosaurus’s tail and knew that they were there to protect themselves against other dinosaurs.
I can use evidence to make simple judgments.
I can ask questions, make predictions, and use my senses to gather information. I can explore with a purpose in mind and use what I learn. I can tell or show something about my thinking. I can contribute to and use simple criteria. I can find some evidence and make judgments.