Art of Tea

The art of Tea

Copyright Copyright Š 2018 by Nagoya International School (NIS) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the NIS Admissions & Development Office.

Nagoya International School Admissions & Development Office 2686 Minamihara, Nakashidami, Moriyama-ku, Nagoya, Japan 463-0002 WEB: www.nis.ac.jp TEL: 052-736-2025 (+81-52-736-2025) EMAIL: development@nis.ac.jp Design and Page Layout by Laia Albaladejo Printed by Blurb NIS - Inquire Inspire Impact

the NIS ELC Kindergarten

The art of Tea

The Beginning . . .

For nearly five months, the students in the NIS Early Learning Center (ELC) Kindergarten ventured upon a learning journey that went from potions and mixing to creating a café and concern for children in far-away lands, all through the Art of Tea. Starting with their IB PYP* Unit of Inquiry on “How the World Works”, the project merged into their next unit on “Sharing the Planet”.

But as is the case with much of their learning in the Reggio Emilia approach, their magical journey began with a simple question . . . .

Why can tea be both hot and cold? and so. . .

. . . they decided to find out!

Jan

Jan + Feb

Jan + Feb

Feb

exploring the Idea of tea

mixing invitation

math integration

a provocation

journey . . .

pg. 1

pg. 5

pg. 11

pg. 15

Feb

Feb

Feb

Mar

mar+ apr

getting dirty

“the cultural science observations experiments tea party“ book

planting and creating

pg. 23

pg. 31

pg. 39

pg. 43

pg. 49

apr

apr+ may

may

may

writing, designing & creating

getting ready

welcoming the community

sharing

The 5-month

art of Tea

Reggio, PYP pg. 86

APPENDIX pg. 81

pg. 55

pg. 61

pg. 67

pg. 77

JANUARY Exploration: Exploring the Idea of Tea

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The students were wondering why tea can be both hot and cold. They were invited to explore various herbs, fruits, and spices and experiment with them by mixing them with hot and cold water.

S: I want to try a sour potion with lemon and orange.

W: I want a growing potion for my friend’s dad for growing hair.

C: I want to do this same because one of my uncles has no hair.

S: You mean bald?

The teacher encounraged the students to think more and asked questions...

W: My dad has no hair too.

What do you think about making something that just tastes nice rather than something that does something?

W: Something that smells like hair potion, but smells good.

3

*See full Observation Text 1 in the Appendix 1 (page 81)

What would hair potion smell like?

W: Hair potion would smell like…… people’s hair.

4

January-February

Mixing Invitation: An Invitation to Mix

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The students shared a common interest in making potions and were invited to explore various materials and ingredients.

They read the book “Magic School Bus Gets Baked� and learned how things can change when mixed with something else.

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The students were presented with a variety of powders such as baking soda, salt, sugar, flour, and cornstarch, and also a variety of liquids such as water, vinegar, oil, a few watercolors and glitter.

What do you see?

S1: I see flour and a lot of things. I see sugar and salt.

Y: I see some cups. (test tubes)

What do you notice on these?

S1: Numbers and lines.

M: How do you use these?

S1: You put something inside of these.

Why do we use these? *See full Observation Text 2 in the Appendix 1 (page 82)

S2: To measure how much you need.

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For one week the students mixed these materials to find out what happened. They came up with questions, experienced and reflected on their findings.

They learned about the importance of safety and took action by wearing goggles. They were also introduced to various containers such as class beakers and test tubes.

How much salt are we going to use?

3!

Y uses the test tube to measure.

What happened when you mixed it?

Y: It gets a little bit wet.

Maybe we need more water.

S1: What do water and flour make?

Y: I’m going to mix.

M: It smells like pancakes.

S2: It’s sticky.

S1: Flour and water makes a pancake smell.

M: What do soap and flour do?

S1: I used 1 ml of water and ½ tbsp. of flour. I need more water.

After several days of mixing colors, glitter and watercolors, some of the students were interested in making the potions smell good. The following day, they were invited to work with spices, herbs, and grains such as cinnamon, cloves, lemon grass, rosemary, lavender, and rice.

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January-February

Math Integration: Integrating Math and Measurements

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The students were introduced to different measurement tools while working with potions. They were encouraged to measure the ingredients that they added to their potions, and some recorded the amount that they measured.

W is conducting an experiment to find out what happens when he shakes up the mixtures he’s created in the test tube. The students all begin to shake the test tubes that they fill.

E1 quickly adds three drops of blue watercolor to the potion jar and then goes back to mixing at the pallet.

W: I’m doing something to my potion.

I’m trying to add more colors.

H and E1 are working very carefully to mix and add to the jar of potion. E2 is mixing quickly while H holds the jar.

E1: I made lots of bubbles.

E2: What did you use?

Look, it’s full of bubbles.

Two of the students are making many test tubes of potion and adding them to a large jar. They get a pallet and begin using a dropper to take some of the potion from the jar and move it to the pallet.

Do you want to try any other colors?

E2: Blue maybe.

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E1: Yes.

E1: color, color..... let’s add more color!

E2: Oh look, it’s going up! (foam) E2 continues to mix VERY quickly.

Two of the students worked together to create a pallet of potions. Connecting their knowledge of potions from movies they have seen with their idea of feelings when making these potions and came up with a variety of affects that they could have on people.

Once they created these potions, they were most enthusiastic about the idea of a hair growing potion and a happy potion. They tested these two potions on themselves, claiming that the “happy potion” made them feel very happy, while the “hair growing potion” did not quite work and they needed more ingredients added.

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February A Provocation: What are Potions for?

How can they be used?

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Teachers began noticing that the students were smashing, grinding and mixing non-stop to create potions, but in the end these mixtures were being wasted. Teachers started a discussion about waste and asked the students what the potions were for.

This sparked an interest in some students, which led them to begin creating potions that will result in something happening.

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After exploring the idea of potions for several days, the students began discussing how potions can be used in the real world.

Students were interested in the idea of drinkable potions for specific purposes, and inquired into various herbs and fruits.

This discussion led into the topic of tea. One student suggested that we look in the ELC garden for things to make tea with. As a whole group, we discussed what tea is used for and why people like it.

There was a common agreement between the students, which expressed an understanding and belief that tea is for people when they are sick. Students shared their personal experiences from when they drank tea, mostly all being when they were not feeling well.

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E1: The tea from yesterday was yummy.

E2: The tea was very lemony.

E3: It was good because I like lemonade tea because its so yummy and hot.

Why did you like it hot?

Why do people drink tea?

E3:Because it was cold and I want to drink the hot lemonade tea.

M1: Maybe they like it.

S1: Maybe because they think it’s healthy.

What makes it healthy?

J: It has water in it and water is really healthy for you.

D1:It has healthy stuff in it.

*See full Observation Text 3 in the Appendix 1 (page 82)

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Is there something important about the tea?

W: It is healthy because like the lemon is a healthy thing and my mom always put it in for me. When I’m sick my mom wants me to feel better.

Does anybody else drink tea when they are sick?

C: I drink tea when I’m sick and when my brother is sick he drinks too tea.

And my mom and dad.

E1: When I’m sick I don’t drink tea, but I drink honey.

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M2: When I go to Finland when I was sick my mommy buy it for me chocolate juice.

Do you think it’s healthy?

NO! (Many children say this loudly)

The following day, the students were invited to explore and inquire into how herbs and plants can help us. Several students were eager to find things that they had seen in the ELC garden and soon went outside to find them.

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February Action: Getting Dirty!

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After collecting several types of herbs and spices, the students began cutting, grinding and smashing. In the beginning, they were mostly interested in mixing as many ingredients as they had available to them.

Once they were happy with their tea mixture, they came up with a name, such as “Relaxing Tea” and “Hug Tea” before adding hot water to it.

Afterwards, the students did a taste test of their project. They were able to identify specific ingredients in the teas such as cinnamon and ginger. However, the mix of other herbs was not the best test.

The next day, another group of students made mint tea after picking mint leaves from the garden. They experimented with the amount of leaves in the tea pot to see if it had an impact on the taste.

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Students chose to do an experiment with three different tea pots, each having a different amount. The final decision was three tea pots with four, six and eight leaves. After preparing the tea and adding hot water, it was decided to wait for two minutes for the tea to steep.

Students carefully watched the clock and communicated when it was time to taste test.

After tasting all three teas they agreed that the tea with the eight leaves was the tastiest and strongest.

After collecting a variety of herbs and plants from outside, the students continued exploring the possibilities with them.

They experimented with mixing the materials with different temperatures of water.

They decided to find out if the herbs smelled different when in cold water and when in very hot water.

They also tested to see if it made a difference if the herbs were chopped up.

The students were eager to test everything that they mixed and continued to research what is in tea.

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Tea is placed in hot water and in cold water.

S1: It’s changing.

K: The hot water is turning into bigger and bigger.

W: The cold water is not doing anything. I think it’s getting smaller.

S3: Its blooming.

J: Look at the one in the hot water is getting big.

D1:It broke apart.

S2: The cold water one is staying normal.

Z: Maybe because the hot water has like pressure to push it out and the cold water doesn’t.

S3: it could be the red flower.

S2: No orange. I see orange.

J: It could be a tomato.

*See full Observation Text 4 in the Appendix 1 (page 84)

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The tea is continuing to steep. The students observe the changes.

E1: The water is getting a little bit brown in the hot water.

K: I can see the green is getting more‌.

It’s getting bigger.

J: The red stuff is moving and it is going out and the green is going to the bottom. Like a sunflower.

D2: Or like a tulip.

E3:: Whoa, ginger! (gingerbread tea) E1: This is strong! (apple cinnamon) R: Smells like cookie.

M2: This one smells good.

R: This is like chocolate.

E1: I like this smell. (sugar cookie)

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D1:Like what if you put the cold water in the hot water one.

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February Cultural Observations: British Afternoon Tea, Japanese Tea Ceremony and TEA IN CHINA

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A group of students was invited to continue exploring tea drinking. They inquired into teas and meanings, and the significance and practice of tea drinking in different cultures.

First, they watched a video of tea drinking in China.

Y: I hear that music before. It’s like violin.

M1: She is beautiful.

E1: Me too. I think she’s beautiful.

When she doing the tea she is going slowly.

M1: Because she doing beautifully.

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The students watched another video about the Japanese tea ceremony and discussed about it.

C: Oh, they’re having a snack. There is cookie.

E1: Maybe it is to put in the tea.

C: Why do they have to bend down?

E1: Yeah, if you sit like that all the time, daddy said you’re going to walk like that (legs out). I think these are all the things they need for the tea.

Y: Maybe to make it.

Y: Maybe so the water slow.

E1: It’s nothing to eat, It’s something to use for the tea.

They walk slowly. She is also being careful to not spill it.

C: I think she is being careful not to spill anything.

*See full Observation Text 5 in the Appendix 1 (page 84)

M1: Why they are sitting down?

Y: Maybe they are just waiting.

34

The students watch a British tea ceremony.

The video mentions that it is called Afternoon tea or high tea.

E: some cakes and a lot of sweets.

Y: With honey.

M1: It looks like yummy.

E1: Maybe some chocolate.

M1: I want!

C: It is kind too long.

E1: I would like some. It looks yummy.

Continuing this conversation the next day with the larger group, the students were asked what other countries they would be interested in learning more about. The students mentioned Korea, the U.S., Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Hong Kong, Canada, Antarctica, Greenland, Australia, Hawaii and Mongolia. They talked about the videos they watched, and what kind of sounds were in the background – i.e. music or birds, music was playing.

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With a variety of tea-bags and teas on the table, the student were smelling and wondering what was inside. Some students wanted to get a microscope to see the inside, because that is what scientists use. They were then invited to smell different kinds of teas and reflect on what they smell and what might be inside the tea bags.

They tried Butterfly pea tea, Korean citrus tea, Huckleberry Ceylon tea, Green tea with rose and Thai tea. They realized that all of the teas look different and discussed what they think the tea is made of. Then, they were invited to make their own tea, connecting their learning to math, and were measured liquid shakers and calculating water container amounts using measuring spoons, cups and containers.

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The Japanese language teachers performed the Japanese Tea Ceremony using the Mattcha green tea to demonstrate Japanese tea customs.

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FEBRUARY experimenting: Doing Experiments in the Science Room

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Excitement grew as the students were able to experiment with potions and tea in the high school science classroom! Some of the potions changed colors, some were VERY smelly, others smelled like mint. They especially enjoyed making a potion that created lots of bubbles!

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MARCH “The Tea Party” Book: Story encourages students think about what they should do next

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After reading the book “The Tea Party”, the children began to think about having their own tea party.

Observation Text #6 K: We need a guest list.

D1: How many people are we going to invite?

S1: The guest list can have a little bit of students. We could pick.

J: We can invite five people at a time.

Z: We could invite one whole grade at a time.

S2: We could vote which grade.

E1: If we invite too many people, we won’t have enough cups.

D1: We need decorations.

J: We need to make a plan.

S1: Maybe we can get some herbs and plants that we can drink in the teas.

What have we used from the garden?

S2: Mint.

C: Raspberries.

S2: We tried to find raspberries but we didn’t find any.

C: Why don’t we buy some?

S3: That cost money, a lot.

E1: Maybe we can make that they grow.

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How could we do that?

E1: By adding some water.

S1: Maybe we can buy some seeds.

E1: And plant them.

M: We can feed some water to the seeds.

K: And wait for growing.

D2: Feed it water every single day once.

Z: Put it in a sunny place and make sure it doesn’t get rained on.

E1: Well, it can get rain water.

D1: It can get rained on.

Is there any else that we could plant to make tea with?

D1: Grapes.

Do we have grape plants out there?

D1: No.

Are you sure?

D1: Yes….

M1: We could grow lemon.

S3: We could grow.

S2: Ginger.

D1: For our café.

E1: Oooooh.

D1: We can make it a café with food, right? Well, some food.

S1: Maybe like a tea café or tea restaurant.

Do you remember the video we watched with tea and food?

Y: They drink tea and they have some food.

What kind of food?

D1: We can make apple tea.

E1: We can make fruit tea.

Z: Maybe we can make strawberry or blueberry tea.

R: Maybe you can add honey.

J: Making a healthy tea café.

S1: Maybe we can make milk tea. Maybe we can make a café like a tea café.

Y: We can make a big book about tea.

Like the plan and the stuff you need and you can put in the book.

S1: Do you mean the book like out in the hallway? The tea book? The tea ceremony book?

E1: Not the tea ceremony book. It’s the plants that you put in tea.

Y: Like we are making a book about tea. How to make tea, how people drink tea, places people drink tea.

Y: What you need to put to make tea.

A recipe book?

Y: Yes! E2: A café.

E1: Making tea and we can write it in the book that we are going to make.

M2: We can put what we need for put inside the tea.

- Students brainstorm ideas in a mind map to think about what we need for a café.

For us to have a café in Kindergarten, what do we need?

J: Plates maybe.

For what?

Y: I think we need some snacks.

Last year when I go to drink tea, there is some snacks.

E1: I think we need cups. We need a thing on the table.

J: A candle.

E1: Maybe a tea stand.

M2: Under the table, we can have a basket and we can put inside the bag.

E2: Decorate the table.

What are you going to decorate it with?

E2: Ribbons.

J: We need chairs.

We already have tables and chairs. What are you going to do to transform that space into a café?

Y: I went to a café and on the table there were flowers or plants. Maybe a rose.

E1: We need cups on the table.

J: We need a tray to put tea on.

Is the tea going to be at the café?

J: They could order what kinds they want and then bring it on a tray.

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M2: A menu.

Y: We need a tea pot to pour the tea.

S1: We need cups and order a menu.

We need cups and tea. I thought maybe a tea café sign.

Where is this tea coming from?

S1: Maybe we can make….we need to see what we can make first and then we can start the shop.

M2: We need the money.

J: The garden.

Y: For our café.

E1: We need cookies!

Remember when we watched the videos about the tea ceremonies?

What was something that you noticed then?

J: Like lemon tea.

Y: When you pour the tea, I noticed you hold the hand and then the other hand hold the cup.

E1: I saw in one of the country’s video, there was on of these trays (high tea).

M2: When somebody is a birthday, we can give a cake.

Y: Some music! We need music!

Do we have lemons in the garden?

What kind of music?

What is coming from the garden?

J: The things that are in your tea.

Like what?

Y: We could have lemongrass.

J: We could have lemongrass.

E1: We need a sign to show it is a café.

E2: Snacks.

What kind of snacks?

E2: Maybe sugary.

J: Like cake.

E2: And maybe cookies.

M2: Maybe we can making stuff.

Like what?

M2: Like food.

What kind of food?

M2: Like pasta.

Y: Maybe we can make some newspaper.

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For what?

Y: Some happy music.

What does happy music sound like?

E1: We need a violin to play some music or keyboard.

M2: I doing violin.

J: I can do the piano.

Y: Maybe somebody can do the piano.

What makes a song sound happy?

E2: Fast.

Do you usually hear fast songs at cafes?

E1: No, we usually have slow songs. I heard a violin in one of the cafes in the video.

E2: Maybe we can do some video to let people watch how we make tea.

E1: We need some newspaper.

Y: I already write it.

E1: We need lights.

What kind of lights?

E2: Pretty lights like decorations E1: Here, there is papers and colors on the wall and I want it like that.

M2: Maybe we can have juice.

J: Maybe we can have a decorated door.

Y: We need colorful curtains.

E1: We need toilets. We need also the thing to hold the tea.

S1: Maybe we can have a show.

What kind of show?

E2: A tea show.

What do you mean?

S1: Shows about teas. I mean like what about movies.

M2: Some place can smoke and some place cannot smoke.

S1: Maybe we can have movies about tea.

Or who made this restaurant or tea café.

What kinds of shows have you been working on in here?

Y: Wonderland - A puppet show about tea.

S1: A shadow show about tea.

E1: Maybe we can put those beads

hanging.

- Students design what the café looks like.

Y: We need to practice pouring so we don’t make a mess. If there is people, the table would get all messy and the people won’t come. We need to practice pouring it and make it perfect and then people would come.

E2: If we don’t know what to do, then people won’t come.

- The students begin designing what the outside of the café looks like. They are encouraged to design the inside of the café and think about what it looks like.

S1: We need a chef that gets the ingredients from the garden and then brings the tea to the people.

Does the chef bring it out?

E2: The waiter brings it out.

S1: Oh yeah, the chef will make it and the waiter will bring it out.

E2: Who are going to be those people?

Us? Y: Yeah.

E2: Then, we need to get really good at making tea.

E1: We won’t give people really yucky tasting tea.

E2: Because then they won’t come.

J: Like dirt tea.

Y: Really yucky tea.

E1: We don’t want them to say its yucky.

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March/April Planting & Creating: Utilizing Natural Materials

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Having moved into the direction of Sharing the Planet, the students chose to focus their inquiry on the use of natural materials when making plans for the tea cafĂŠ.

Some students wrote recipes for the tea they'd like to make with herbs from the ELC garden and planted new herbs in the garden to try in the teas.

Their use of natural materials extended beyond the ingredients for the tea, to also make menus on handmade paper and to try to make tea cups out of clay and other natural materials.

The students welcomed parents to help during Community Time, and also welcomed visitors from the neighborhood into the classroom to help them make the pottery for their cafe. The children designed their pinch pot tea cups to serve the tea, and they also created arrangements using sticks, pinecones and wire to make unique centerpieces for the tables in their cafe.

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They drew inspiration from tea cups from India, Thailand, Morocco and America to design and sketch tea cups for the cafe.

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APRIL Writing, Designing & Creating: Creating the menus, newspapers, and art/photography for gallery space

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The students chose to create a newspaper for guests to read at their cafe, as well as a non-fiction book. They worked in small groups to outline the contents and headings of the newspaper and further developed research skills and learned about the format of a newspapers. They hoped that the newspaper would be an informational resource for customers of the cafe. .

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Some students worked on the menu for the café, and came up with a name for the cafe, “The Art of Tea Café”.

The students discussed having a gallery for artwork and some of them chose do photography and others chose to paint pictures of flowers. Their symbol ideas for the café were used for signs, aprons and the newspaper.

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Students worked on piecing together the decorations as well, inspired by spring and nature and they discussed painting butterflies, bees and flowers using paints and water-colors. They chose to use origami paper to make flowers as well as collage materials to create artwork to be displayed in the cafe.

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April/May Getting Ready: Final Touches before inviting customers

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The students put the finishing touches on the food menu and the reservation book and table plans.

Several students began taking reservations and organized people according to their interests and worked on writing the menus for the food being served at the cafe.

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A reservation book with a schedule was also competed as a way to organize customers, and a “comments and feedbackâ€? form for customers to fill in after visiting the cafĂŠ was also created. The students also created an order sheet to be used by our waiters and waitresses, as well as a tea recipe book to be sold.

For the unit on Where How We Organize Ourselves, the students conducted hospitality training to prepare them for their work in the cafe. They decided on job roles, and learned the importance of committing to the responsibilities of working as a team within a cafe environment. They practiced taking and reading cafe orders and operating the cash register during role play in the cafe.

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May Welcoming the Community: Serving the Community with a Smile

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All the energy and work finally came together with the arrival of customers from the community.

Students greeted guests, took orders, served food and drinks, and received payments at their cash register. Not only did they do it all on their own, but they also immensely enjoyed the experience, and were very happy and proud of themselves for presenting all that they learned, and by that, made everybody who visited the cafe very happy in return!

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May Sharing: Supporting Other Children

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The students voted to support one of the countries that they learned about the tea to give back to, and they chose India. The students decided to donate their profits from the cafe to *“Shanti Bhavan” to fund clothing and school supplies to children in need through this organization.

*Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project in southern India is a boarding school and non-profit organization that caters to the poorest children in the area. For more information about Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project please visit http://www.shantibhavanchildren.org

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APPENDIX I Observations and documentation are an important part of the Reggio Emilia approach to learning.

Documentation highlights student’s play by examining their intentions at different stages, demonstrating the development of their learning over time. Following are observation text that shows how the “Art of Tea” project developed.

(Bold text are questions by teachers).

ObServation Text 1 :

Exploring the Idea of Tea (page 1-4)

S: I want to try a sour potion with lemon and orange.

W: I want a growing potion for my friend’s dad for growing hair.

C: I want to do this same because one of my uncles has no hair.

S: You mean bald?

W: My dad has no hair too.

What do you think about making something that just tastes nice, rather than something that does something?

W: Something that smells like hair potion, but smells good.

What would hair potion smell like?

W: Hair potion would smell like… people’s hair.

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C: We could make a juice…one kind of red water that smells like lavender and we can drink it.

How is it going to be red?

C: By using some apples outside.

Some apple peels.

Do you think it will make a difference if we use hot water and cold water?

W: Yeah, it will taste different. One time I tried and it taste different.

Juice is freezing and the hot juice is burning.

S: Yes. Do you think the ginger will taste different?

S: Yes, because the hot water. The lemon water will make it more sour.

The cold one will make it not sour.

C: The orange peel can go in the cold water and it will help us tear and we will put half in hot water to see what happens. The hot gets some of the color of the orange peel.

W: What happens if we put more?

The students put more orange peel to see if there are any changes.

S: The hot water tasted different and it tasted “orangey”. The cold water tasted more like real water. It didn’t taste like orange.

Next, the students worked with lavender from the garden and added hot water.

S: It’s burning.

The students are encouraged to smell the tea.

Is it stronger?

C: Maybe because that one is burning and the other is not.

Next, they work with ginger. The students decided to chop one piece up and

leave the other in a big piece.

Observations of the two in separate bowls of hot water. Chopped ginger in hot water turned yellow, not chopped ginger in hot water did not turn yellow. The children are encouraged to taste the ginger tea.

C: Sour S: It tastes like….

W: Move it around in your mouth.

It tastes like grass.

S: It’s like spicy, but without spice.

S tries the hot water with non-chopped ginger.

S: It tastes like nothing.

They smell the lemongrass stalk. First, they smell it with hot water.

S: Really good.

W: Yeah, really, really good! Maybe it’s the inside. I don’t know if it is going to taste sour like lemon.

Next, they smell it with cold water.

S: I don’t smell anything.

S: I smell something but I don’t know what it is called.

W: It smells strong. The lemongrass smell is strong in hot water.

The students then taste the lemongrass in hot water.

W: It tastes like something that I don’t know…

S: I just taste hot water.

C: Me too but just with a little bit of lemongrass.

S: It taste like a bit of hot with a lot of lemongrass.

Then, they taste it with cold water.

C: Nothing.

S: I taste lemongrass.

W: It taste a little lemon.

S: I don’t….I just taste the cold water.

W: I wonder how we can make

gingerale. Maybe we just squeeze some special ginger….

ObServation Text 2 :

An Invitation to Mix (page 5-10)

S1: Why do potions have a lot of things that it makes? Why do potions have a lot of kinds of things in it?

S2: How do you make potions?

Y: How do you make potions?

M: Why do potions have colors?

S1: What is this?

What do you see?

S1: I see flour and a lot of things. I see sugar and salt.

Y: I see some cups (test tubes).

What do you notice on these?

S1: Numbers and lines.

M: How do you use these?

S1: You put something inside of these.

S2: What do flour and water do?

M: What do soap and flour do?

S1: I used 1 ml of water and 1/2 tbsp. of flour. I need more water.

Y: I’m going to mix.

S1: I did 1 ml of water with 1 Tbsp of flour.

M: It smells like pancakes.

S1: Flour and water makes a pancake smell.

S2: It’s sticky.

Together, everyone combines baking soda and vinegar.

Y: Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles! WHOA! M: There is so many bubbles. I want to try it.

M adds vinegar to the salt in the test tube that he is holding - nothing happens.

M: I think I need more salt. (adds more) S1: I put just made bubbles. Watch this guys. You put this much in the test tube and then pour it out.

Then it makes bubbles.

What did you mix it in?

S2: I used the oil and the sugar.

Why do we use these?

S2: To measure how much you need.

Pink, purple, and gold watercolors are introduced. M adds a lot of purple.

What happens when you mix soap and salt? How much soap do we want to use?

M: 2.

M: WHOA!

How much salt are we going to use?

S1 puts a lot of purple into her mixture.

S2: These are the prettiest things that we ever saw, right? Jane should have come to the potions.

Y: 3!

S1 adds pink to the flour. The flour stays at the bottom and the pink stays on top.

They do not mix.

What happened when you mixed it?

Y: It gets a little bit wet. Maybe we need more water.

S1: What do water and flour make?

S1: Wow, look at this!

Y: Is it ok to mix? adds purple and pink to the salt.

M: It’s so easy to do that. You mix salt, then pink and purple.

Y uses the test tube to measure.

ObServation Text 3 :

Reflections on Tea Tasting (page 15-22)

E1: The tea from yesterday was yummy.

E2: The tea was very lemony.

E1: That’s why I like tea.

J: It was very sweet, D1: It was very hot.

E3: It was good because I like lemonade tea because it’s so yummy and hot.

Why did you like it hot?

E3: Because it was cold and I want to drink the hot lemonade tea.

D2: Like hot cocoa.

Z: It didn’t have so much flavor, but I did taste the lemon and it was good.

H: I like tea because my daddy drinks tea.

Why do people drink tea?

M1: Maybe they like it.

S1: Maybe because they think it’s healthy.

Why would it be healthy?

S3: It makes it healthy because in coffee and a lot of juice, it has caffeine.

D2: Not healthy.

Why? D2: Because of course tea is a kind of coffee and coffee is not healthy.

What makes it healthy?

D2: My dad never told me that but he told me what you just said. He drinks coffee and I drink hot chocolate. It’s a kind of coffee and tea.

J: It has water in it and water is really healthy for you.

E1: Coffee also.

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D1: It has healthy stuff in it.

What is healthy?

D1: Tea beans.

M2: I like lemon tea because my mom and dad make it for me sometimes and my mom make it for me.

Does that make you feel good?

M2: Yeah.

E1: I never drink tea, but I like it.

S2: I think that tea is yummy because it is a little bit sweet and is like old people thing so I think it’s good.

What do you mean about an old people thing?

S2: Like mom and dad. If it’s like matcha it’s like about kimono and if it is not like those one it is not kimono.

Are you talking about a tea ceremony?

S2: Yes, I went to a tea ceremony and drink some tea. It was kind of lemon tea and it was a little bit sour.

What happened at the tea ceremony?

S2: Tea ceremony a lot of people were wearing kimonos and drinking tea. I drink some tea.

Is there something important about the tea?

S2: No. W: It is healthy because like the lemon is a healthy thing and my mom always put it in for me. When I’m sick my mom wants me to feel better.

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Does anybody else drink tea when they are sick?

C: I drink tea when I’m sick and when my brother is sick he drinks too tea.

And my mom and dad.

E1: When I’m sick I don’t drink tea, but I drink honey.

Could honey be tea?

W: Yes. E1: Maybe.

Y: Yes. S2: Yes. D2: Whenever I was sick in America, I drank strawberry tea to help me feel better.

Z: Well, I’m not talking about sick, but did you know I did have fruit tea. It was cranberries or berries. I don’t remember, but I think there was a strawberry one and maybe a blueberry.

How did you feel?

Z: It was really yummy, so I think tea is healthy because they put like stuff that I think is good for bodies.

D2: They really are.

S3: In America, people say there is chocolate tea.

D2: Chocolate tea in America?

Definitely not! I checked every place I saw tea in. No chocolate tea. Not even in one place.

Z: There are probably places that you haven’t been to in the world.

D2: I see people drink chocolate tea and I always ask them where they got it and they say they got in a bakery. My mother let me check the website and I saw on the menu chocolate tea. I thought it was very surprising.

M2: When I was sick my grandpa made it for me honey candy.

S3: I’ve had honey water before.

It’s a secret recipe. You can make it like…you can put like some rice and smash it and you smash it and you like mix it a lot and you mix it a lot and it makes like soup, like tea. I drink it and it taste like lemon tea.

You put lemon sauce on it.

M1: I never saw a blueberry and a strawberry in a chocolate tea.

M2: When I go to Finland when I

was sick my mommy buy it for me chocolate juice.

Do you think it’s healthy?

NO! (Many children say this loudly) E1: I think tea is healthy because you drink it when you are sick. The first time I drank tea was when I was born.

The doctor gave it to me. I wonder why the doctor gave it to you….

A teacher brought tea for the children to taste.

This is a kind of tea that Mr. Michael bought for me.

E1: Yuck!

What do you think you need to do to drink it?

E1: Break it.

S3: Smash it.

R: Why it is here pink?

What do you think it is?

E1: Strawberry.

The students were encouraged to smell it.

D2: It smells like watermelons.

W: It smells like nothing.

M1: I don’t smell anything.

K: If you’re making tea with that you have to smash it and put it into the tea.

What do we use to make the tea? What ingredient?

E1 and S3: Water.

What does it look like?

D1: An egg.

S3: I think it’s the inside of the plum.

Sometimes in America there are special plums that my friend gave me.

K: This comes from inside flowers.

What kind of flower could it be?

K: Kind of purple flowers.

Some children suggest that we look at the herb book.

How can we find out?

M2: In this book, I have at my grandma’s house. If you’re itchy, you can use it on your foot.

E1: I’m itchy a lot of times on my foot.

ObServation Text 4 :

What’s inside the Tea? (page 23-30)

I’m going to make some tea.

I have two. What kind of water should I use?

J: Hot water and cold water.

What other materials do we need?

E1: Tea pot.

J: Tea pot, hot water, cold water.

Tea is placed in hot water and in cold water.

S1: It’s changing.

K: The hot water is turning into bigger and bigger.

W: The cold water is not doing anything. I think it’s getting smaller.

S3: Its blooming.

J: Look at the one in the hot water is getting big.

D1: It broke apart.

S2: The cold water one is staying normal.

Z: Maybe because the hot water has like pressure to push it out and the cold water doesn’t.

S3: it could be the red flower.

S2: No orange. I see orange.

J: It could be a tomato.

Y: I’m smelled that before. My grandpa drink it before.

Why do you think he drinks it?

Y: Maybe he likes it. Maybe when I come back to China, I can ask my grandpa.

Maybe you could Skype with him. We could Skype him here.

Y: I could speak Chinese, so you can tell me what you want to say and I will say it in Chinese.

The tea is continuing to steep. The students observe the changes.

E1: The water is getting a little bit brown in the hot water.

K: I can see the green is getting more….

It’s getting bigger.

J: The red stuff is moving and it is going out and the green is going to the bottom. Like a sunflower.

D2: Or like a tulip.

D1: Like what if you put the cold water in the hot water one.

E3: Whoa, ginger! (gingerbread tea) E1: This is strong! (apple cinnamon) R: Smells like cookie.

M2: This one smells good.

R: This is like chocolate.

E1: I like this smell. (sugar cookie)

ObServation Text 5 :

Tea drinking in Different Cultures (page 31-38)

Y: When I was four or five years old, I was in China and I saw one flower and I have a friend that tell me this flower can make tea. I was in China and I saw when I was small, some thing circle and my grandpa

sometimes put in the tea.

Why do you think people drink tea?

Y: Because it is healthy and the people like drink to.

E1: I think they drink because some teas are good for your body like for your skin.

M1: Because it is healthy.

When do people drink tea?

Y: Maybe they feel good.

E1: Maybe they will drink tea if they don’t have water.

M1: When people drink tea they are sick.

Are there any special ceremonies that have to do with tea?

E1: I don’t know about that…..

OH….my daddy yesterday buy some tea and I tried the tea and then I said YUMMY! Y: Maybe when they tired, they can drink tea.

The students didn’t have any ideas of tea ceremonies, and wondered about tea drinking in different places. Since one talked about China, they watched a video of tea drinking in China.

Y: I hear that music before. It’s like violin.

M1: She is beautiful.

E1: Me too. I think she’s beautiful.

When she doing the tea she is going slowly.

M1: Because she doing beautifully.

Why is it beautiful?

M1: By doing the kimono.

The students continued to watch the video.

E1: She’s turning the tea.

Y: She holds one hand when pouring.

C: When she is about to do it, she

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wiggles her hand gently.

Y: It was beautiful.

E1: She’s putting something in the tea.

M1: She is putting nicely.

Y: And be careful.

C: She looks pretty. She is moving slowly. She moves her hands pretty.

E1: She is also being careful to not make the things fall down on the table.

Do you know of anything like this in Japan?

C: I think I know some very good Japanese people that can do that.

Who? C: I saw them on television.

The students watched another video about Japanese tea ceremony.

E1: It looks like they’re not wearing shoes in there.

C: My mom’s bedroom is in that room.

Y: I went somewhere before and my dad and my mom have a rest and sit over there and drink tea.

I wonder why she is moving that way and shutting the door?

C: Why? Maybe so no one sees them or no loud noises come in to distract them.

E1: Yeah, I think that.

M1: Why are they walking around?

E1: They are wearing a kimono.

Is there any music in this one?

C: I hear tweet, tweet, tweet.

E1: They are birds.

If there are birds, where do you think this place is?

E1: In the forest.

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C: A teacher came. Are they paying money?

E1: I wonder what they are doing.

C: Oh, they’re having a snack. There is cookie.

E1: Maybe it is to put in the tea.

C: Why do they have to bend down?

E1: Yeah, if you sit like that all the time, daddy said you’re going to walk like that (legs out). I think these are all the things they need for the tea.

Y: Maybe to make it.

E1: It’s nothing to eat, it’s something to use for the tea. They walk slowly.

She is also being careful to not spill it.

Y: Maybe so the water slow.

C: I think she is being careful not to spill anything.

M1: Why they are sitting down?

Y: Maybe they are just waiting.

The woman pulls out a red cloth from her kimono.

C: A magic cloth.

Y: No magic.

C: Maybe she is wiping her hand.

Y: For cleaning.

E1: Maybe that is a cloth for cleaning it.

M1: For cleaning the cup.

E1: I think she is drying everything.

Maybe they washed it and now they dry it.

M1: They are not talking anything.

Y: They be quiet.

E1: They are silent so they can hear the birds.

C: Why are they quiet?

E1: Which other country makes tea?

Y: Where it come from?

C: What does it do to you?

Y: How it work?

M1: Why they not talking anything?

The students watch a British tea ceremony since one of the teachers is from there.

The video mentions that it is called “Afternoon Tea” or high tea.

E: Some cakes and a lot of sweets.

Y: With honey.

M1: It looks like yummy.

E1: Maybe some chocolate.

M1: I want!

C: It is kind too long.

E1: I would like some. It looks yummy.

APPENDIX II the reggio emilia approach:

Co-construction of learning The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is based on the principle that children should be given opportunities to collaborate with teachers and peers to “co-construct” their learning through the experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing. These learning relationships are of central importance to the development and learning of the student.

This co-constructive approach to early childhood learning fully involves teachers in supporting the varied interests of students and allows them to be able to respond to spontaneous learning moments. Through co-constructive learning, teachers can support the development of cognitive skills in all students, helping to build self-esteem and setting them on a path towards becoming independent, life-long learners. By observing students closely, teachers are empowered to make decision that guide the next steps in each child’s learning and, in so doing, establish a collaborative partnership with the child.

The Reggio approach is based on the belief that children have many languages through which they speak - the spoken language being only one of the ways children express themselves. Consequently the learning environment - and everything in it - becomes important additional “teachers” for students.

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APPENDIX III IB PYP Program of INquiry

six transdisciplinary themes Six transdisciplinary themes (“Units of Inquiry�) guide learning throughout the ELC Kindergarten. These globally significant themes provide the opportunity to incorporate both local and global issues and enable students see the world with a wider perspective.

The themes are substantial, in-depth and usually last for several weeks - often taking learning in directions that are student-centered and student-led. The six themes are:

Who we are: an inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time: an inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationship between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

How we express ourselves: an inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

How the world works: an inquiry into the natural world and its laws, the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

How we organize ourselves: an inquiry into the interconnectedness of humanmade systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

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Sharing the planet: an inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and other living things; communities and the relationship within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

THANK YOU! We would like to thank all of the people who helped support the 2015-16 ELC Kindergarten students along their magical journey. The ELC teachers and staff involved were Anne Boudreau, Taura Smith, Desmond Gomez, Michael Redfern, Karen Bernstein, Marimo Yagi, Yoko Kamikokuryo and Alex Wong. We thank the many parents, teachers, and guests who came to enjoy the delicious tea and sweets at their cafe and who guided them along their journey as well. Of course, we wish to acknowledge the students themselves, and thank them for sharing their learning and inspiring us all with their wonder and passion. Thank you everyone!

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