Is this unschooling?/was making paper
[email protected]
I get out the paper making kit and tell the kids we will finally make
that paper today that I've been talking about all summer. This gets BIG
SMILES! First we tear up the lintners. Kids say, "this is too hard". I
help and Lisa grabs the scissors. She notices how "cottony" the lintners
are. We talk about what paper is made from and how it was once made from
papyrus. Now the paper is torn, so we pour water on it and let it soak
while we go to Costco (taste samples, find out that mom won't buy the
juice with added sugar and that the bunk bed set that says kids under 6
aren't allowed on top really means that once the beds are at home parents
are allowed to make their own rules about who can go on top).
Back home to the paper - decide that we should have torn it in smaller
pieces but we throw it in the blender anyway with some lovely orange
dryer lint that we've been saving for a loooong time. The kids decide to
play with their American Girl dolls while they are waiting for the paper
to blend. The dolls are going on a campout so they all need sleeping
bags. They use doll quilts for that. Interesting conversation between
them and the dolls about what kind of food to bring for the campout. The
paper mash doesn't look quite right but I continue anyway. Pour the
slurry into the tub. "Look kids, I'm going to make the paper now."
"This stinks!" "ooh, I don't want to put my hands in that!" OK, so I do
the first one. Lisa decides to give it a try. Makes one piece and goes
back to her dolls. I do a few more. Jackie tries one and enjoys
stirring up the water with her hands. She proudly carries her piece of
paper outside to dry. (98 degrees outside helps!) Then she goes back to
the dolls. I continue making paper, making occasional comments about
what I'm doing and asking if anybody wants to do another one. Nobody
does. By the 11th sheet I'm tired of it and have used up most of the
pulp. Dump the rest of the slurry in the compost pile and clean up the
mess.
We sit down to have a snack and study the piece that is almost dry. Lisa
wonders how it will be to write on.
Neighbor calls to say she is held up at work so can we meet her son at
the bus. Bus is 10 minutes late, but we visit with another neighbor who
lives near the bus stop. The 6th grader talks about how middle school is
soo hard and she will never survive it. Mom comments on how much they
had to invest in art supplies. Finally the bus arrives and my kids take
off to play with their friends.
Is this unschooling?
Mary Ellen
that paper today that I've been talking about all summer. This gets BIG
SMILES! First we tear up the lintners. Kids say, "this is too hard". I
help and Lisa grabs the scissors. She notices how "cottony" the lintners
are. We talk about what paper is made from and how it was once made from
papyrus. Now the paper is torn, so we pour water on it and let it soak
while we go to Costco (taste samples, find out that mom won't buy the
juice with added sugar and that the bunk bed set that says kids under 6
aren't allowed on top really means that once the beds are at home parents
are allowed to make their own rules about who can go on top).
Back home to the paper - decide that we should have torn it in smaller
pieces but we throw it in the blender anyway with some lovely orange
dryer lint that we've been saving for a loooong time. The kids decide to
play with their American Girl dolls while they are waiting for the paper
to blend. The dolls are going on a campout so they all need sleeping
bags. They use doll quilts for that. Interesting conversation between
them and the dolls about what kind of food to bring for the campout. The
paper mash doesn't look quite right but I continue anyway. Pour the
slurry into the tub. "Look kids, I'm going to make the paper now."
"This stinks!" "ooh, I don't want to put my hands in that!" OK, so I do
the first one. Lisa decides to give it a try. Makes one piece and goes
back to her dolls. I do a few more. Jackie tries one and enjoys
stirring up the water with her hands. She proudly carries her piece of
paper outside to dry. (98 degrees outside helps!) Then she goes back to
the dolls. I continue making paper, making occasional comments about
what I'm doing and asking if anybody wants to do another one. Nobody
does. By the 11th sheet I'm tired of it and have used up most of the
pulp. Dump the rest of the slurry in the compost pile and clean up the
mess.
We sit down to have a snack and study the piece that is almost dry. Lisa
wonders how it will be to write on.
Neighbor calls to say she is held up at work so can we meet her son at
the bus. Bus is 10 minutes late, but we visit with another neighbor who
lives near the bus stop. The 6th grader talks about how middle school is
soo hard and she will never survive it. Mom comments on how much they
had to invest in art supplies. Finally the bus arrives and my kids take
off to play with their friends.
Is this unschooling?
Mary Ellen