Bridges!

This semester our children are very interested in the concept of bridges.  Our four interns are all going to be exploring bridges with the children and focusing on different aspects of bridges (pathways, the function of bridges, movement over and under a bridge and the representation of bridges).  To start out of investigation of bridges we had the children building bridges with blocks and drawing pictures of bridges.  We wanted to learn what the children already know...what concepts do they already have about bridges...so that we know where start our projects.  Here is a summary of the children's ideas when when asked to draw bridges:

The children had pencils, pens, crayons, and paper and were asked to draw a picture of a bridge. In their drawings some children included up and down details, some used lines, some used circular shapes, and some included a variety of different shapes to their drawings. When asked for details about their bridge (is it over the water or over the ground? Who uses your bridge? Do they go over or under the bridge?) the children would explain aspects of their bridge, and then many would go back to their paper to add more details as they decided on more features that they wanted on their bridge. Some children added items to their drawings that they associated with bridges, such as rocks, animals, and people. As the children described their drawings some of them turned their pictures into stories by saying that something happened to someone on the bridge, or giving a purpose for something using the bridge. Some associated bridges with stories they had heard previously that contained bridges, and used their drawing as a way of conveying this story. 

Many children were able to describe their bridges, so next week I would like to take a look at the different types of bridges they can represent, and looking for distinct features of these bridges. The children seem to know what aspects of a bridge they are representing in their drawing. I wonder if they can draw a picture of a bridge then look at pictures of real bridges and decide which bridge looks most like the one they are drawing. I want to see if they are able to look for distinct parts of the bridge that make it similar to the one on the paper. I also wonder if they will add more details to their drawings when they have pictures of bridges for reference.