Perspectives: Mirrors

Perspectives: Mirrors Learning Group

Week of November 11, 2013

Last week, I introduced the children to a new way to think about our reflections: a view of them from above. The children were very interested in this new perspective of the mirror and investigated not only their own reflections but also the reflections of other objects, too. After observing the children last week, I wanted to continue to explore the hanging mirror with them.

            This week, I provided the children with the larger wooden blocks and encouraged them to build on the carpet under the mirror. I was curious as to how they would observe the reflections of their buildings and structures. How would the reflection of the blocks from above be different from how they saw the blocks as they built with them?

            Some of the children weren’t aware of the reflection of the blocks at first. Others, though, quickly noticed the blocks in the mirror. The children seemed to be focused on ‘building up’ with these blocks; building the tallest towers they could. It was almost as if they wanted their towers to reach the reflections they were seeing above them. A few of the children noticed they could only see parts of their tower in the mirror, mostly just the block which was on top closest to the mirror. The children frequently looked into the mirror as they added blocks to their structures.