{"id":1866,"date":"2022-09-05T16:43:43","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T20:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/?p=1866"},"modified":"2022-09-05T16:43:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T20:43:43","slug":"mission-possible-adapting-water-inquiry-for-the-preschool-age-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/uncategorized\/mission-possible-adapting-water-inquiry-for-the-preschool-age-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Mission Possible: Adapting Water Inquiry for the Preschool Age Group"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In late spring, I was given the opportunity to partner with the Smith College Museum of Art to create and facilitate a water inquiry exploration for preschool-aged children, inspired by Maya Lin&#8217;s &#8220;Mappings&#8221; collection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Photo Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#foogallery-gallery-1868 .fg-image { width: 150px; }\n#foogallery-gallery-1868 { --fg-gutter: 10px; }<\/style>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"foogallery foogallery-container foogallery-default foogallery-lightbox-foobox fg-center fg-default fg-ready fg-light fg-border-thin fg-shadow-outline fg-loading-default fg-loaded-fade-in fg-caption-always fg-hover-fade fg-hover-zoom\" id=\"foogallery-gallery-1868\" data-foogallery=\"{&quot;item&quot;:{&quot;showCaptionTitle&quot;:true,&quot;showCaptionDescription&quot;:true},&quot;lazy&quot;:true,&quot;paging&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;dots&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:20,&quot;position&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;scrollToTop&quot;:false,&quot;output&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;theme&quot;:&quot;fg-light&quot;}}\" style=\"--fg-title-line-clamp: 0; --fg-description-line-clamp: 0;\" >\n\t<div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-25-at-6.37.43-PM.png\" data-caption-title=\"These two Maya Lin pieces provided much of the inspiration for this activity \u2014 I wanted to see if we could take the shapes that water makes and solidify it in order to make it accessible to much younger audiences.\" data-attachment-id=\"1881\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"These two Maya Lin pieces provided much of the inspiration for this activity \u2014 I wanted to see if we could take the shapes that water makes and solidify it in order to make it accessible to much younger audiences.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-25-at-6_37_43-PM\/3004730564.png\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">These two Maya Lin pieces provided much of the inspiration for this activity \u2014 I wanted to see if we could take the shapes that water makes and solidify it in order to make it accessible to much younger audiences.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_6602.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"Although I was aiming to design an inquiry activity for preschool-aged children, it quickly became one for me and my friends as well, as I experimented with different materials to best represent the trails water makes as it flows.\" data-attachment-id=\"1878\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Although I was aiming to design an inquiry activity for preschool-aged children, it quickly became one for me and my friends as well, as I experimented with different materials to best represent the trails water makes as it flows.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_6602\/3058454922.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Although I was aiming to design an inquiry activity for preschool-aged children, it quickly became one for me and my friends as well, as I experimented with different materials to best represent the trails water makes as it flows.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4443.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"Rubber Duck Bert helped me tell the story of his great escapades in the puddles and the splashes he made, which provided an easily accessible way into envisioning watersheds.\" data-attachment-id=\"1872\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Rubber Duck Bert helped me tell the story of his great escapades in the puddles and the splashes he made, which provided an easily accessible way into envisioning watersheds.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4443\/1038609190.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Rubber Duck Bert helped me tell the story of his great escapades in the puddles and the splashes he made, which provided an easily accessible way into envisioning watersheds.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4442.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"Several of Bert\u2019s duckling friends floating in a makeshift puddle.\" data-attachment-id=\"1879\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Several of Bert\u2019s duckling friends floating in a makeshift puddle.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4442\/3812208197.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Several of Bert\u2019s duckling friends floating in a makeshift puddle.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4448.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"Instead of splashing, the children opted to pour cups of water on the ground to mimic the shapes of water droplets.\" data-attachment-id=\"1880\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Instead of splashing, the children opted to pour cups of water on the ground to mimic the shapes of water droplets.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4448\/1379257813.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Instead of splashing, the children opted to pour cups of water on the ground to mimic the shapes of water droplets.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4455.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"We poured tubs of water down a ramp to mimic the shape of a river cutting through a landscape.\" data-attachment-id=\"1871\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"We poured tubs of water down a ramp to mimic the shape of a river cutting through a landscape.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4455\/1125480174.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">We poured tubs of water down a ramp to mimic the shape of a river cutting through a landscape.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4451.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"Participants of all ages were fascinated by the movement of the water on the incline!\" data-attachment-id=\"1885\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Participants of all ages were fascinated by the movement of the water on the incline!\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4451\/3965355893.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Participants of all ages were fascinated by the movement of the water on the incline!<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4458-1.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"After observing the shapes the water made, we tried to make our own using water colors and a spray bottle.\" data-attachment-id=\"1882\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"After observing the shapes the water made, we tried to make our own using water colors and a spray bottle.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4458-1\/1157960256.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">After observing the shapes the water made, we tried to make our own using water colors and a spray bottle.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4465.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"The children discovered many different techniques to spread the paint like it was water\" data-attachment-id=\"1870\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The children discovered many different techniques to spread the paint like it was water\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4465\/1089189126.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">The children discovered many different techniques to spread the paint like it was water<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4478.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"After our outdoor water exploration, Gina Hall lead children into the museum to find the missing rubber ducks and see Maya Lin\u2019s water-inspired art along the way\" data-attachment-id=\"1869\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"After our outdoor water exploration, Gina Hall lead children into the museum to find the missing rubber ducks and see Maya Lin\u2019s water-inspired art along the way\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_4478\/2853203280.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">After our outdoor water exploration, Gina Hall lead children into the museum to find the missing rubber ducks and see Maya Lin\u2019s water-inspired art along the way<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fg-item fg-type-image fg-idle\"><figure class=\"fg-item-inner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_6612.jpeg\" data-caption-title=\"Rubber ducks were found hiding all over Seelye Lawn at Smith college for days to come, leaving me (as well as many other students) to imagine what other sorts of adventures they might have embarked on.\" data-attachment-id=\"1884\" data-type=\"image\" class=\"fg-thumb\"><span class=\"fg-image-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Rubber ducks were found hiding all over Seelye Lawn at Smith college for days to come, leaving me (as well as many other students) to imagine what other sorts of adventures they might have embarked on.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"skip-lazy fg-image\" data-src-fg=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/cache\/2022\/08\/IMG_6612\/2158118015.jpeg\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%22150%22%20height%3D%22150%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%20150%20150%22%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" loading=\"eager\"><\/span><span class=\"fg-image-overlay\"><\/span><\/a><figcaption class=\"fg-caption\"><div class=\"fg-caption-inner\"><div class=\"fg-caption-title\">Rubber ducks were found hiding all over Seelye Lawn at Smith college for days to come, leaving me (as well as many other students) to imagine what other sorts of adventures they might have embarked on.<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure><div class=\"fg-loader\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<p><b>Background \/ Context<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I spent my formative years at Seattle Country Day School, an inquiry-based school serving gifted students aged kindergarten through eighth grade. Since leaving, I have sought out similar inquiry-based programs elsewhere. These experiences, combined with my background as a preschool teacher and nanny, sparked a curiosity in how inquiry could be implemented for younger ages, and I was thrilled to partner with Carol Berner to expand the Water Inquiry Project to younger audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In designing this exploration, I drew inspiration from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/interactive-stories\/ducklings\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe Case of the Missing Ducklings,\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> both in terms of the vehicle used for inquiry \u2014 (rubber) ducks, in this case \u2014 and storytelling as a model for investigation and exploration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As I firmly believe that the most effective instances of inquiry-based learning are deeply rooted in both place and community, I was excited to collaborate with the Smith College Museum of Art to create a family program.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cWhat\u2019s the Mission Here?\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These were the first words out of Nate\u2019s (names have been changed to protect the privacy of children) mouth as he surveyed the rubber ducks floating at his feet, and I immediately knew that my lesson plan was in trouble.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While I had spent weeks carefully curating a lesson plan designed to lead pre-kindergarten-aged children through an exploration of the way water moves and how that relates back to the Maya Lin: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/scma.smith.edu\/art\/exhibitions\/maya-lin-mappings-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cMappings\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> exhibition at the Smith College Museum of Art, my scripts and prompts were no match for the energy of the three four-year-olds that stood in front of me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">They wanted to touch things, experiment with things, know things, and they wanted to do it all <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">now.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As is the case with any age, but most noticeably with younger students, working with preschoolers requires a certain level of planned opportunism; while you need a general plan in order to situate the children within a concept, you must also have the flexibility and humility needed to embrace the impromptu ideas and curiosities that will inevitably emerge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Inspiration<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Touring \u201cMappings\u201d by Maya Lin at the Smith College Museum of Art \u2014 coupled with the wonderfully wet Massachusetts winter \u2014 reignited my own love of and curiosity surrounding water. I have always been fascinated with water: the various forms it can take, the myriad of ways in which it engages the senses, and the artistry of it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As I adjusted to life in a place very unlike where I had grown up, I became intrigued with the idea of water as landmark and how the physical boundaries set by water define the spaces we inhabit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although I loved all of Lin\u2019s pieces, I was especially taken by the piece <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pin River\u2014Sandy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which depicts the floodplain of Hurricane Sandy, and I wondered how I might depict similar water movements in a way accessible to young children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Process<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I experimented with various, child-friendly ways of recreating and preserving water tracks and discovered that liquid watercolor, slightly diluted, was the most reliable medium.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With friends, I poured watercolors down pieces of paper, slanted to mimic hills; blew paint through straws as though we were the wind; and dropped paint onto wet paper to watch how the pigment spread. This process gave me more than stained hands, it gave me firsthand insight into the resiliency that inquiry requires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">No matter how prepared I felt, I knew that my plan would hold little relevance when put into action with children: from hiding the ducks around the lawn for a massive scavenger hunt to dumping cups of water down the ramp, they had their own needs and curiosities that had to be incorporated into my plan in order to fully connect with the content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was swept along in this journey of true enthusiasm and pure wonder that although different from what I imagined, Mission: Water inquiry became a resounding success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Takeaways and Questions<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Overall, I was both pleasantly surprised by the different ways the young children viewed the water and how they characterized the shapes it made. While I might have just seen abstract shapes in the small rivers, the children saw it differently. \u201cThat looks like pants,\u201d said one child. \u201cIt looks like trees,\u201d said another, and then they were off, imaginations racing as the water on the ground contorted itself into fantastical images.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Although I initially cringed at the wet mess we were making, the children seized upon the opportunities in front of them, using the spilled water to make footprint tracks down the ramp. In doing so, they expanded their understanding of the many roles that water can play, as well as my own: water was now a conduit, a medium to replicate other shapes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is so much to be learned in play, as the greatest learning occurs in the unscripted, unplanned moments, where the children beat you to the question and run off with their own ideas, and I am grateful to the children who participated in Mission: Water Inquiry for guiding me on this journey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Acknowledgements<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This project would not have been possible without Carol Berner, my wise and patient mentor; the unflappable Gina Hall, Educator for School &amp; Family Programs at the Smith College Museum of Art; the Smith College Museum Educators, the community members who participated, and the entire staff at the Smith College Museum of Art who opened up their doors to young children (and tolerated ducks being hidden throughout the Maya Lin exhibit)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>About the Author<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tamarin Camp is a STRIDE Scholar at Smith College, where she studies early childhood education and political science. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she thoroughly enjoys water in all forms.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In late spring, I was given the opportunity to partner with the Smith College Museum of Art to create and facilitate a water inquiry exploration for preschool-aged children, inspired by Maya Lin&#8217;s &#8220;Mappings&#8221; collection. Photo Gallery Background \/ Context I spent my formative years at Seattle Country Day School, an inquiry-based school serving gifted students &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/uncategorized\/mission-possible-adapting-water-inquiry-for-the-preschool-age-group\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Mission Possible: Adapting Water Inquiry for the Preschool Age Group<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5569,"featured_media":1885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/485\/2022\/08\/IMG_4451.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5569"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1866"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1894,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1866\/revisions\/1894"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/waterinquiry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}