em ergence o f th e
M AT E RI A L
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
INTRODUCTION
in a workshop with adult educators, and
We consistently find that children
share a poem I wrote about my experi-
revel in learning about these materials
ence with a clay smooth pathway along
through their hands and feet, eyes
Honora Bay road on Manitoulin Island.
and ears, noses and toes. They love to
What does it mean to ask a child,
Other times, we simply invite children
explore the materials, and to share sto-
“where does this material come from”?
to put their hands into the bucket, and
ries of where they’ve seen them before.
see what happens. “I’ve felt this before!” a young girl
Like the tale of the child that is amazed to learn that the carrot she is eating
We ask them to tell their own stories
exclaims. “At Low Island. It’s under the
comes from the ground, engaging
of finding clay through their feet,
water.” Another child tells us where he
children to explore the ‘where’ of the
or of playing with a slightly burned
has felt it at his camp. Amid the ‘ahhs’
‘what’ creates tangible links to place,
stick from a fire. We learn through
and ‘ewws’ of different children, there
to ecology, to geology, and geography.
these stories.
are sparking connections between summer swims and a material they may
“The environment is the third educator.”
I place a bucket of natural clay and lake
So many beautiful materials have
have seen before but never connect-
water on the table and invite children
stories contained within them: stories
ed to a natural environment. Natural
to put their hands into it. I tell them
of the geological processes that made
materials are, “experientially rich tools
the story of how I collected it, and
them, and of our own personal rela-
for establishing place-identity” (Day,
where I collected it. I do the same thing
tionships to the materials and the place.
2007, p. 84). With magnifying glasses
Emergence of the Material 5
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
they glimpse the fibres in a sweater or a
Equally important, questioning the
The materiality of the materials is
make sculptures, dyes, playhouses…
blanket, and feel the similarity between
provenance of other non-natural
important. Even if the clay or the char-
draw with a piece of charcoal from a
unspun wool and the sweater.
materials can lead to: shop, factory,
coal comes from a shop rather than the
cold fire, even if it’s not professional,
fossil fuel, which is also a revealing
lake or a cold campfire, it is a material
dense willow charcoal burned very
experience for children.
that has a natural history.
slowly and carefully.
Similarly we can ask, “Where does this
By thinking about the full ecological
material (or artwork) go when we are
cycle of a material we build relational
finished with it?” Natural materials
understanding between the child and
return to the land and contribute to the
the land, between their hand and the
ongoing ecological cycle. The plastic
making. The materials influence us in
sparkles, the modelling clay, and the
their textures, scents, malleability…
shiny things that children love come
and we influence them. We are not
from fossil fuel production and sit in
separate from these materials.
The children then make a strong connection between a natural material (rather than playdough, or even store purchased clay) and the land, they identify what they have felt with their bodies with a word, link a story of a material and landscape, and learn that this material is a source of making, and comes from the land. In a world where we source most things from grocery stores, sharing stories and
“We are losing the sense of touch because of keyboards, and from not making things. So this is a first step—awaken the sense of touch… Please touch!”
—p au l u s b e re ns oh n , p ot t er
learning about the provenance of mate-
landfills when we are done with them. Sometimes we don’t need a long Source materials and the materials that
exploration. Sometimes just having
rials can be an invitation to understand
Through natural materials children
are made from them (stone and tools,
our hands in clay, digging our fin-
and relate to the world in a different
make connections to the lived land-
wool and textiles, clay and sculpture,
gers into sand, touching a ball of soft
way, because it’s not just about engag-
scape, the natural world, the ecology
cotton and thread, sticks and struc-
alpaca fibre, or walking to gather plants
ing with materials taken from the land
of a lake with its sand, clay, water,
tures) teach children that there is a
reconnects us. We use both hands, all
and having new experiences through it,
shells, fish.
making within their grasp. They can
of our senses: “We learn something of
but building a different kind of
They glimpse the history of the land,
create textiles by weaving fibres, they
the essence of things by how they feel”
human-world relational ecology.
the geological processes that create dif-
can create clothing by stitching. They
(Day, 2007, 84).
ferent kinds of rock in different places.
can gather materials close to home,
Emergence of the Material 6
Emergence of the Material 7
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
Learning through the body, and helping children to communicate what they are learning through their body helps them to make the connections, and to validate and honour different ways of knowing.
MATERIALS
Clay. Charcoal. Graphite. Dye. Pigments. Fibre. Natural Dyeing. Sticks. Stones. We continually return to these materials. Allowing a child to get messy with any of these is a joyful, sensual, embodied learning experience. Making things from the materials engenders creativity
SO U R C E S Day, C. (with Midbjer, A.). (2007). Environment and Children: Passive Lessons from the Everyday Environment. Jordan Hill, Oxford, Architectural Press.
WH ER E AN D H OW T O SO UR C E NAT UR AL MAT ER IALS
Natural materials can be found in most
Generally, the principle to harvesting
neighbourhoods, are free and envi-
sustainably is to:
ronmentally friendly. Some things we
1. Get a sense of the area first, before
5. Pick leaves, stems rather than taking roots. Taking flowers means that flower won’t produce seeds that year. 6. Never take bark from a tree, unless working with a traditionalist who
need to source from stores, like clay if
harvesting, and then give thanks for
knows how to do so without harm-
you don’t live near a lake with a clay
finding what you need.
ing the tree. Instead gather bark
bottom, or graphite and charcoal. As
2. Pick only plants that are not endan-
an educator on the lookout for natu-
gered/protected, or do not respond
from dead trees, or pieces that have fallen on the ground.
and agency in a child. Asking questions
Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G.
about the materials brings a storied,
(Eds.). (1998). The hundred languages of
ral materials we begin to see our daily
well to harvesting, such as trillium,
contextual focus to the materials and
children: The Reggio Emilia experience in
walk, our back yard and our homes
wild leeks, lady’s slippers (and most
noxious, such as: poison ivy, giant
the making. “Where does this material
transformation (3rd ed.). Santa Barbara,
differently. Lint from the dryer can be
other orchids)
hogweed, nightshades.
come from?” is a powerful question, a
CA: Praeger.
used for stuffing, unusual seed pods can
provocation that invites children and educators into the cycle of making—
Berensohn, P. (2013). To Spring From the
the ecology of our making, building,
Hand, DVD. TOTM Film
crafting—from the material to the artwork, and out again. Emergence of the Material 8
3. Pick from less trafficked areas, as
create lively discussion, animal bones
they have less likely been harvested
elicit stories and questions.
already and impacted. 4. Pick only a few plants or flowers from a particular patch.
7. Avoid plants that are poisonous or
N OT E
It’s a great inducement to creativ-
ity to remove glue, gluesticks and tape from activity areas. Ask: how can we attach these things with other materials?
Emergence of the Material 9
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
LOO SE PARTS AN D BE AU TI FU L TH I N G S • Bark (harvested from the ground, not taken from living trees) • Bones
• Fish scales
ones, flat ones, prickly and pointy,
• Alpaca fibre
in water, it will harden to the shape
a lovely texture. Keep an eye out at
• Flower petals (be sure to not bring in
and sometimes with the seeds still in
• Bark (picked from the ground)
it’s left in to dry so can be used
yard sales and second-hand shops)
them, they can blow away,
• Burlap
sculpturally)
rattle… Why does this pod shake?)
• Cardboard
• Dried grasses
• Cattail, cotton, animal fibres
• Dryer lint
trees, as each will have different
• Fabric
qualities and textures. If you’re
• Leaves
lucky to find beaver chewed sticks,
• Paper (a range of textures, finishes,
or sticks with insect holes, these can
noxious or poisonous plants)
• Bulrushes
• Fossils
• Chestnuts
• Grasses and sedges
• Cow leather scraps
• Leaves (the possibilities
• Deer hide scraps • Dried beans (look for heritage beans as there as there are so many variants)
ST IT C H IN G , SEWIN G , 3D C O N ST RUC T IO N
are endless)
• Seeds—beans, flowers, peas, kale... (Look for heritage seeds as they have a wider range of colours,
• Milkweed pods and milkweed silk • Seed pods (there are so many beauti-
speckles and shapes) • Sinew (available from craft shops)
ful and different seed pods—curvy
for stuffing • Cow hide scraps (keep an eye out at second hand stores, or visit a leather sales company and ask for scraps)
(or make paper)
• Deer hide scraps (soft) or hard from
• Aprons, smocks (keep an eye out at used clothing stores and yard sales) • Branches, grasses and twigs to use as brushes • Cotton embroidery floss, with lengths wound on sticks (this reduces
• Darning needles (these are heavier
them at the teacher’s desk and allow
larger needles with larger eyes)
them to be used by children who
• Hammer and nail to make holes in
have demonstrated responsibility
tenser fabric for sewing with
and dexterity to use them and put
darning needles
them back)
• Regular sewing needles (some proj-
knotting mishaps with the
ects and some dexterous children
packaged floss)
are able to use these needles. Keep
• Scissors
• Seeds and seed pods
invite curiosity) • Stones • Thread (embroidery floss is thicker
drum makers and leather workers (the
• Sheep’s wool
and easier for young children
hard can be used by hammering
• Sheets (preferably cotton ones that
to manipulate)
holes into it for sewing, or softened
can be dyed, cut up, sewn, and have
• Twine
DR AWIN G AN D PAIN T IN G MAT ER IALS • Black Tea/Juices/Turmeric in water • Branches and grasses can be used as brushes • Charcoal (comes in a range of densities, but even charcoal from
Emergence of the Material 10
• Sticks (find sticks from different
weights). Look for handmade papers
• Clay (self-drying)
TO O LS
• Sinew (available from craft shops)
a cold campfire can be used)
• Graphite (comes in a range of sizes
• Clay water
and shapes—explore these and all
• Conté pencils
their edges)
• Cotton, linen, and a range of other watercolour and drawing papers • Dye water
• Pastels (oil, or chalk) • Watercolours (or the teas and juices noted above) Emergence of the Material 11
We have two large clay workstations
and I reflect on this in our
set up. Almost all, if not all of the kids
meeting. Dillan sums up
join in. I demonstrate a few tricks:
our conclusion during circle
making a ball, rolling a snake, kneading
time: “It was like playdough.
the clay, using water to make the
But playdough is colorful.
clay smooth.
The other one is sometimes brown.”
Hudson: This is mud. Jack: No it’s not, it’s clay.
But playdough and clay are not the
How do we introduce young artists to
Hudson: It just looks like mud.
same. The vocabulary of clay is very
clay when its deceitful doppelganger,
different. The visceral feeling of
playdough, is old news for them? Per-
Pretty soon more than half of the kids
clay is very different. The origin
haps we could invite playdough to the
lose interest, handing over their lump
of clay is very different. Playdough
party. Compare them. Find out what
of clay to their neighbour and going off
doesn’t have the geological,
we can do with clay that we can’t do
to other pursuits. Later, Joanne, Janet
geographical connections of clay.
with playdough, and vice-versa. Emergence of the Material 13
Talk about where we can find clay.
Sunday: It was turning into a statue.
A team of kids join forces
White. (The clay was beginning to dry.)
to create an epic miniature
I ask where clay comes from. Jayda
world.
immediately answers, “It comes from
Others are beginning to learn about the
the water.” As artists doing land-based
structure of the clay.
Daniel: This is a slide, this
work, we find that the story of the
Daniel: When there’s more water, it
is the apple tree, this is…
material is so important. I describe my
breaks. When Hudson put more water
Outside, a house, a phone, my
own experience swimming in Mudge
on it, it fell over.
little zapping thing, canons.
Bay and reaching down for lumps of
Marianna: So the more water, the less
clay. Many people have had similar
strong it is?
The clay offered a chance to
experiences in other places on
Daniel: Yes. It fell over. I put the sticks
continually edit the environ-
Manitoulin Island.
all together and made them stick with
ment of a story as the story
the water. I wonder how it’s standing
unfolded, just as their story
I ask about the difference between clay
all by itself now. Maybe ‘cause I already
of finding clay in local lakes
and play-dough. One kid did have a
made the hole.
is an unfolding story. Shap-
theory about the difference.
Mariana: I wonder how you could
ing the clay was not separate
Daniel: You can’t put playdough
make it stand up?
from breathing life into the
in water.
Daniel: I just pushed it in very hard,
clay shapes and enacting
Natalie: Clay is easier to work with than
and then it stayed in there.
stories with them. And while
playdough.
they can create with playSunday works hard on creating a “castle
dough, each time they use
At least two kids made observations
birdhouse.” She uses her fingers to
clay they build knowledge of
about the transformational capacity
create holes in the castle for birds to
the material and openness to the
of clay.
access it. She includes in her design “a
material and to the places from
Marley: It turned into mud.
top thing for an attic.”
which it comes.
Emergence of the Material 14
Emergence of the Material 15
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
TEXTURES OF PLACE Blaire Flynn
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
PROVOCATIONS: QUESTIONS TO A S K O U R S E LV E S A N D C H I L D R E N CON N E CT IO N S T O G EO LO G Y A N D GE OG R APH Y • What is this material?
• How does this material compare to another (alpaca fibre/dog hair/sheep wool)? Why are they different, how are they different?
Today we use clay as a tool to docu-
Some children pressed multiple surfac-
• Where does it come from?
ment the schoolyard. We roll out the
es into their clay. The textures reveal
• Have you seen or felt this before?
clay and cut it into rectangular pieces
different kinds of information about
about 2” x 4” and place them in a carry-
place. Children often touch and learn
• Why does it have this texture?
ing container. We get dressed and head
through touch, but that sensation is
• Why does it have different colours?
R ELAT IO N SH IPS O F T H IS MAT ER IAL T O T H E NAT URAL WO R LD, AN D US T O IT
outside. I show the children how to
difficult to verbalize. The textures
(consider the different colours of
• Where does it grow? Why does it
use the pieces of clay to take a pressing
becomes maps of a place, and tangible
clay, or of fibres)
of a place, and invited them to make
representations of touch.
their own. Off they went to places they loved or found interesting to collect the texture of that place.
Where?
• What happened on the earth to make this material? • What kind of stone is this, why is it hard, or soft? • What kind of tree did this stick/ bark/needle/leaf come from?
Emergence of the Material 16
grow there? • Who/what eats, uses, makes things with this? • What happens if we harvest these materials? • Where does the material go (once it blows off the flower head, once
we’ve used it, once it comes off the tree…) • What commercial materials can you exchange for materials you collect nearby? • Are there guidelines to remember when collecting this material from the land? • What is the impact of using this material?
C O N N EC T IO N S T O MAK IN G • How could this material be used? • What are the characteristics of this material? • Can we use this material with other materials? Emergence of the Material 17
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
• How have these materials been used in the past generations? • How are these being used in the world today? (bricks, cob, straw bale houses, bricks…) • What can this material teach me? • What can I learn about myself
• Where can we see these materials in our school and community? • What artists, artisans, builders use these materials?
Learning the Land, Creatively: Provocations for Early Childhood Educators
Where is the closest place to your home that clay or graphite or wood can be found? Think about creative ways to “map the materials.”
• What do I want to share that I have learned about this material?
Explore foods that are also natural dye
• What do we learn about our com-
materials: study the characteristics of
through struggling through making
munity by working and learning
the material-ness of the foods (beets,
and design challenges?
about these materials?
black tea, blueberries) cook with the
• What are some ways I have never thought about using this material? • What does this material inspire me to make? • What is your favorite material to use? Think about why? Can you choose a material that you aren’t as comfortable with, and create a new relationship with it?
C O NNE C TIONS TO PLACE AND C O MMUNITY
• How do we change our communities through the use of
dyes or pigments with the food-based
Clay is of the earth. It is made of fine
different materials?
colors. Finally, paint, dye fabric or pa-
particles of rock and soil, and comes
per, or do mark-making with the dyes.
from the erosion of rock, usually feld-
Explore ways to use multiple materials
spar, over very long periods of time.
together to make tools (create paint-
It settles into river and lake bottoms,
brushes with branches and grasses;
and can form a layer in the earth. It
gather charcoal for drawing and draw
becomes malleable when wet, hardens
with this non-permanent substance on
when dried, becoming very hard when
wood or stone, etc).
fired—or heated—at high tempera-
A FE W DI R E C TI O N S TO E X P LO R E Bring building materials into the classroom (bricks, clay, straw) and invite children to create buildings and draw designs of them. Share artist, architect and planner sketches, designs and drawings.
• What stories can we tell with these materials? • What stories have we heard about this? Emergence of the Material 18
children and share a meal, then create
HOW TO WORK WITH CLAY
Research source locations of materials and connect to geography and culture, song and story of those locations.
es and texture to explore how fossils are made, and why dinosaur bones are found in the ground.
itself rather than folding it onto itself and trapping air. Generally working
with your hands, or use a piece of wire
with children in schools we use self-dry
that has holders on the end to protect
clay and it is not as sensitive to the air
the hands (you can wrap the wire ends
bubbles as it won’t be fired.
around a cork, or a piece of wood). Pull the wire down through the clay like a
Keeping it moist. Keep clay covered so
cheese cutter).
it doesn’t dry out—keep it wrapped in plastic. Self-dry clay does not need to
Wedging. To prepare clay, it needs to be
be kiln-fired. When children build with
softened, and particularly important, air
this clay, keep their work covered with
needs to be removed if it will be fired
bags so that they dry slowly to lessen
in a kiln. Wedging involves giving each
the cracking. Used clay can be put
piece a nice bang onto the work
into water to reclaim and reuse it, and
T E CH N IQ UES
surface, then pushing the clay down
the water from the clay can be used to
Cutting. To cut a slab of clay from a
and backward. If you’ve baked bread
experiment with dyeing, painting
before—this is NOT what you want
and drawing.
tures. It can be reddish, greyish, yellowUse clay and shells with a lot of ridg-
Here you want to push the clay into
ish or blueish-grey.
larger piece you can either pull a piece
to do. Bread dough requires lots of air. Emergence of the Material 19
Hand-building. To hand build, children use their hands to form and mold the clay. Slab-building. Pieces of clay are rolled out with rolling pins, pounded with hands and attached together. Rolling & coiling. Children who’ve worked with other moulding and mod-
Drying. Keep clay covered
elling materials will automatically begin
so it doesn’t dry out. Self-
o roll lengths of clay. These can be
dry clay does not need to be
rolled onto themselves to make shapes
kiln-fired. When children
and build forms.
build with self-dry clay, cover finished work with bags so
Slip & Score. Provide small bowls of wa-
that the pieces dry slowly to
ter for the children to use to work the
lessen the cracking.
clay. To attach sections of clay together,
Emergence of the Material 20
show children how to score each side
Reclaiming and reusing. Used
to be attached (scratching into the clay
clay can be put into water
to make it rough), put a little bit of slip
to reclaim and reuse it, and
(very wet clay made by putting water in
the water from the clay can be used to
some clay) between each section
experiment with dyeing, painting
and attach.
and drawing.
Emergence of the Material 21