12: Kaleidoscope World
Every color and every hue
Is represented by me and you
Take a slide in the slope
Take a look in the kaleidoscope
Spinnin' round, make it twirl
In this kaleidoscope world.
-Francis Magalona
Colors have an inherent power to captivate our senses and ignite our imagination. Understanding the art and science behind mixing colors and how they are made not only enhance our appreciation for the visual wonders of the world but also open doors to creative expressions.
This week, we dove deep into a kaleidoscope of colors through our inquiry on investigation and experimentation. We began with a quick recap of the previous week's experiments, and what the children have learned about colors so far.
"When all the colors mix, they turn brown!"
"Blue and yellow make green."
"Red and yellow make orange."
"Blue and red make purple,"
"I want to make the lava lamp again, Ms. Pam!"
the children said.
We got to know the colors better through a book called Mixed by Arree Chung.
The story began with three colors who initially lived harmoniously until a misunderstanding forced them to separate and live in different parts of the city.
Eventually, they found their way back to each other when they saw the beauty in each other's differences. When they mixed, they created a new array of vibrant shades that boasts of the color wheel.
While reading the story, the children shared some of the colors they recognized,
"That's teal, Ms. Pam!"
They learned new colors, too, such as plum, amber, lime and lavender.
But more than that, what I love about this simple yet meaningful story is its rich lessons on open-mindedness, respect, acceptance and tolerance. It's a clear example of how accepting and embracing our differences make us more beautiful as a whole society.
We tried to recreate the story through a mixing experiment. We collected the three primary colors -- red, blue, and yellow -- and placed them in different glasses. We wanted to see what will happen if we put coffee filters that connect the glasses together. Since we already knew how colors can mix, we came up with several theories on what will happen. Our goal this week is not only to observe the experiment, but also to learn how to record them.
Here are the children's theories.
I think all the papers will turn blue. - Daniel
The paper will get wet. -Amaru
I think the color will go to the paper. The paper will have color. -Emma
I think the paper will be colorful. -Yichen
I think the water will go up on the paper. The paper will have color. It will be yellow, blue and red. -Veronica
I think the paper will be rainbow colors. -Suzu
Yellow, blue and red are coming up the paper. -Luna
The color will change. When the colors mix, they will be orange, green and purple. -Louis
Blue, red and yellow are going up on the paper. -Tamaki
The color is going to go on the paper. The color will change. -Kai
We discovered that paper, in this case a coffee filter, easily absorbs water. We also learned that even on paper, colored water can mix and make a new color!
Using the same materials, we wanted to check if it's possible to separate colors when they're already on the paper. Ms. Harumi shared a wonderful experiment with the children using coffee filters and Mr. Sketch markers.
First, she asked the children to decorate the coffee filters with the markers.
Then, she let the children put their decorated coffee filters in a cup of water and observe what happens.
It was wonderful to see the children's surprise as the colors began to separate and created new ones, too.
We then let our colorful creations dry, and turned them into scented flowers for the children to enjoy.
I wondered,
"If colors can separate on paper by using liquid, do you think it's possible for liquids to separate on their own?"
The children are always up for a new challenge, so we decided to test if it is possible to separate different colored liquids. We knew we could do it because we saw how it was possible to create different layers in our lava lamp experiment. The question is, if it's possible to have more layers than two.
First, we gathered the materials that we need. In this case, different kinds of liquids with different densities.
We talked about the concept of density briefly through a video.
The children then experienced pouring the different liquids in a jar to see if they will separate, and if we can make a rainbow tower.
Using our light table, we were able to observe the different layers of colored liquid that we created. It was definitely a unique rainbow, but still beautiful nonetheless.
The children recorded their observations one more time to complete the process of investigation.
In our experimentation process, we have been using colored liquids to see how they will mix and separate. I asked the children if it is actually possible to create color with liquids that don't have any color at all to begin with. What liquid could that possibly be?
"Water!" they said.
Some of them think it's possible, some of them said maybe we couldn't do it.
Using just three materials -- a glass, water and a white sheet of paper -- we tested our theories. We needed to go outside for this experiment as there's one crucial element that we need to make this work. Can you guess what it is?
It was so cool to see that even things that we didn't think would have any color actually do!
"But what about black, Ms. Pam?"
Black is an interesting one as it is known to be the absence of light.
"Black is dark. It's scary in the dark."
"Yes, the dark can be scary but I think that all of you are a little bit brave, too."
This week, the children also learned what it means to be courageous. I read a book called A Little Bit Brave by Nicola Kinnear.
The book is about a bunny named Logan who was afraid of many things, including the outdoors. He has a friend named Luna who thrives in adventures and sees the world as a place of wonder. Throughout the story, Logan learned what it means to bring out the little bit of bravery that's already inside him by venturing out into the world, and seeing the scary things from a different perspective.
I asked the children,
"What makes you feel scared?"
"Nothing," some of them said.
I told them that feeling scared is normal and it's okay. We just have to learn how to bring out our inner courage to overcome our fears.
A lot of the children view superheroes as the epitome of bravery. We transformed ourselves into everyday superheroes by creating masks using our favorite colors.
But masks are just one thing. Courage, in its true essence, comes from the heart -- it is already within us. With our masks safely tucked, we ventured out into the outdoors just like Logan to see if there are scary things that we can overcome together.
"I don't want to fall down."
"It's okay, Ms. Pam. You just have to be careful." the children said.
Our little adventure made us a little bit braver, I think. One thing I learned: courage can also come from people who are there for us. Thank you, Kinder 2, for making me much braver this week.
"I am scared of crossing the road," I said.
"I don't want to get hit by cars."
"It's okay, Ms. Pam. You just have to look and wait for the green light." the children said.
"I am scared of falling and getting hurt," I said.
"It's okay, Ms. Pam. You just have to be careful." the children said.
"I am scared of deep water," I said.
"It's okay, Ms. Pam. You just have to swim." the children said.
Our little adventure made us a little bit braver, I think. One thing I learned: courage can also come from people who are there for us. Thank you, Kinder 2, for making me much braver this week.
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From learning about colors and open-mindedness to experiencing what courage truly means, this week was truly a kaleidoscope of essential lessons. May the children carry these lessons when they venture out on their own and hopefully, share them with others to make our world a more colorful place.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
Your Kindergarten teacher,
Pam
P.S. Sharing a few other fun things that happened this week:
A trip around the world through drums and rhythm by Mr. Von Baron.
Ms. Pam as a unicorn.
An explosion of colors for PE.
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