The younger children (grades K through 3) started their study of Ancient China by considering what an invention is. What was the earliest invention anyway? Then each child was given an invention and asked to illustrate it. As we shared the drawings and discussed what life could have been like without the invention of toilet paper, paper, gunpowder, wheel barrow, kite, matches, parachute, compass, umbrella, toothbrush, yoyo, chess, paddle wheel and the printing press we soon learned that all the inventions had one thing in common. They were invented in China – a long time ago.
During Read Aloud the children have listened to four books by the same author: Virginia Walton Pilegard’s Warlord’s Beads Warlords Puzzle, Warlords Fish, and Warlord’s Kites. Each book focuses on the same character and setting. Readers soon learn how the abacus, tangrams, compass and kite were invented. After reading the books, children had the opportunity to then sign up during Investigations to learn about magnetism and make their own compass fish. This week they learned about the abacus and made their own. Next we will make paper and a kite!
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