Transporting Water From One Container To Another

The children in classroom four have recently been exploring the properties of colored water. Two weeks ago, the children were challenged with this question: How did the water in the water table change colors when a tablet was dropped in? Due to the great level of interest in this topic, Mami (this past week's lead teacher) decided to take the subject further and pose questions about the results of mixing different colored water. Children expressed excitement about the prospect of experimenting with different colored water and shared many predictions about what they might discover.

In order for children to physically mix colored water, however, they needed to use strategies to transport water from one container to another. Teachers thought that eyedroppers might be a good tool for children to use because they would be able to see the color of the water inside of the eyedropper and be able to transport the water drop-by-drop. This tool was challenging and engaging for children to use in their experimentation. Some children problem solved and found alternative ways to transport water other than using the dropper. Many children began to question how the dropper worked, and applied its properties to other tools at the water table or at the mixing table.

On Monday morning, before Mami introduced the project of mixing colored water, children arrived at the classroom to find several different kinds of droppers (among other items) at the water table to explore. Here, some children began to explore new ways to transport water from one container to another.

As Stefan tries to fill an old dish liquid bottle with water, he explores different ways to transport water. During his initial attempts to use the eyedropper, he is approached by Cisco, who commands him to "squeeze the blue thing!" Stefan listens to Cisco's advice, and learns when to squeeze and when to release the blue rubber part of the eyedropper to transport water. Stefan uses his new knowledge to fill the dish liquid bottle using the eyedropper. This is the first of many attempts to fill this bottle with water. Stefan tries different approaches to complete his task. He tries pouring the water into the bottle with a jug. Then he tries putting the dish liquid bottle under water in the water table and squeezing it.

In his interaction with Cisco, Stefan learned that by squeezing and releasing the "blue thing" the dropper filled with water. It seems that Stefan applies this property to his work with the plastic bottle. By squeezing and releasing the plastic bottle under water, he hopes that this bottle will fill with water, just like the dropper did.

Later in the morning, the children were invited to a table to experiment with color-mixing with water in jars. A box containing different kinds of droppers laid at the table for children to use as tools to transport the colored water from one jar to another.

Several children dip the droppers from one jar to another without actually transporting water. Above, Abby demonstrates the squeezing motion with her hand to show Kelly how to obtain water in the dropper. Abby's suggestion helps Kelly to understand how the dropper works. Although Kelly is capable of completing this task on her own, Abby's suggestion prompts her to use the tools more effectively and to understand the process better.

John uses the dropper without carrying much water. He dips the dropper in and out of the jar, but it doesn't seem to gather any drops of water except for those that cling to the outside of the dropper. He watches his peers carefully to look for clues as to how the dropper could carry more drops of water. When Abby sqeezes the droppers with John, he begins to see how squeezing helps the dropper to contain more water. John begins to use the droppers by himself in a more effective way where he is able to transport the ammount of water he wants.

Hajime does a lot of experimenting with the dropper at the water table before attempting to fill a container with water using the dropper. His close observations of the dropper help him to conclude that squeezing the end of the dropper when the dropper is submerged in water fills the dropper with drops of water that can be released with the next squeeze of the dropper.

Once Hajime has gained this knowledge about how the dropper works, he takes on a task that demands a lot of concentration and careful coordination. In his left hand he holds a small plastic box. In his right hand he holds the dropper. He begins to use the dropper to fill the plastic box with water. Here, he is demonstrating not only his understanding of how the dropper works, but also his own fine motor skills, a preference of using his right hand to do the squeezing motion, and a high level of concentration and coordination.

Joe uses the eyedroppers several times before experimenting with different kinds of droppers from the box. He chooses some different tools and attempts to use them in the same way that he used the eyedroppers. Above, he chooses a plastic bottle with a cap that screws on and off. Joe removes the cap, screwing it all the way off, and dips the open end of the bottle into the jar of red water. He may not have chosen to use this bottle in this way had he not previously experimented with the droppers. Joe proceeds to squeeze the bottle with its end submerged in the jar of red water. He tries several times, but sees that the bottle is not filling with water. Joe learns that this squeezing method that works so well to fill the droppers is not successful with the plastic bottle. He then uses a strategy that is perhaps more reliable. Joe decides to fill the plastic bottle by pouring the red water directly from the red jar into the bottle. He has tried and erred with the application of a new strategy, and has reverted to another solution to his problem of completing his task.

Later on in the week, Mami leads a discussion in morning meeting to hear from the children what they know about how water can be transported.

In the above discussion children demonstrate with language their understanding of how the dropper works to transport water. Many children use the word 'squeeze' to explain how to use the dropper. Joe says, "It gets the water in by a pipe." He uses language that is familiar to him to explain that the water enters the dropper's long, pipe-like end. Solomon says, "the water gets sucked in" by a "little round, tiny hole." As the children discuss their new tool as a group, they are able to further reflect on their learning. It's clear that children are grasping concepts of the droppers' uses and how best to approach them as helpful tools in their work with water.
There are still mysteries to be solved, however. What makes the water 'get sucked in there'? How does squeezing and releasing the rubber part make water come in or out of the dropper? These questions keep children engaged and interested in their work with droppers.

Children express great interest in play with water. Providing them with different tools to transport varying amounts of water proved to further engage them in their exploration.
While there was clearly an interest in the mixing of colored waters, the process of mixing became another area of learning. Children struggled with using new tools to transport water with, often learning from their peers or teachers cooperatively about how to enable their skills with the droppers to escalate the possibilities with their work with water.
While many of the questions posed by the use of droppers are conceptual, other challenges that droppers pose are physical. Several children had difficulty with the controlled strength that it takes to squeeze the end of the dropper and improved their fine-motor skills with this tool. Hajime and John both use intense concentration to refine their skills with squeezing droppers.
Further exploration in concepts of transporting water in the future might lead the curriculum to including specific questions about quantities of water and measurement. Children could be challenged to formulate ideas about ways to measure amounts of water in certain containers and contexts, as well as other materials. Another route that water play might take in the classroom is further exploration of alternative uses of droppers. Children could use them as a tool to make artwork, using colored water on absorbent materials like paper napkins.
Water play is both intriguing and challenging for preschoolers. Offering them provocations such as eyedroppers further challenges their physical and cognitive capabilities.

Kate Stephens

Room 4 Children