Catbird Paleontologists

Today we had a very peaceful Meeting for Worship in the Music Room with the EC and Kindergarten. Friends are increasingly able to use the silence and stillness to relax their bodies and minds. Next week, we are considering our first trip to the Meetinghouse.

After Snack and a little getting ready time, we headed down the hill to the Lower School playground. We brought a variety of digging tools with us, and the Catbirds learned that there were many dinosaur eggs buried in the sandbox. As the young paleontologists began their search, we talked about the ways that fossils are found, as well as strategies for searching. It was fascinating to watch different approaches to trying to unearth the eggs. Friends became either motivated or frustrated when others found eggs. They shared advice with one another and traded tools. Once friends found an egg (the plaster forms we made earlier – each containing a dinosaur skeleton), they got a hammer and went to the tarp to work on opening their fossil. Digging and smashing were both very enjoyable activities for many friends.  Thinking about the science behind these kinds of discoveries made for interesting learning. Some friends were frustrated because they could not find an egg right away. Everyone was encouraged to keep searching, although they were also told that they could take breaks to go play on the playground or simply give up. We encourage the Catbirds to develop strategies to work through frustration, as a way to build one of the most important academic (and life) skills – resilience. Not everyone found an egg, but everyone did enjoy our exploration.