Questioning the World in the ELC

Questions are a window into our world. Not the kinds of questions for which there are immediate, ready answers - such as "What is the capital of Japan?" or "What time does the bus leave?". We need those questions as they help us know where we are, and what we have to do. But, while these questions may help us to know our world, they have never - and will never - help us understand or shape our world. If the role of school is to help prepare our children to understand, shape and grow the world of tomorrow, then questions are the only way to do this. For, it is only when young minds start to puzzle, wonder, imagine and explore that children can begin to identify with the world around them and come to see themselves as an agent for change in that world. Explore with us some of the questions our NIS learners are wondering about, right now…..

Why can't we make an Onigiri (riceball) with this rice?

While preschool students were playing at the rice table, one student asked and the other students answered.
“If you eat this rice you will die!”
“You can’t eat this rice, it will give you a stomach ache”
“It’s not real rice”
The teachers asked the same question to the whole preschool class and found that lots of students believed...

Q: How did the artist make the dots in her artwork?

While they were exploring dots, one of the students got particularly inspired by Yayoi Kusama and two of her artworks, “Balloon Sculptures” and “Obliteration Room”. The student shared his interest and knowledge with his friends and invited them to create their own balloon art. This led to . . .

Q: How do you know you are friends with someone?

The ELC Kindergarten students read "How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids" by Carol McCloud. The story tells us that everyone has an invisible bucket we carry around. We can choose to fill each other’s buckets using kindness or dip from each others buckets. Then the teacher asked students.....