LIFE & DEATH OF A RAINBOW

An Investigation of Rainbows

One day a rainbow visited our classroom -- it was a small rainbow that danced on a wall.  The children were excited about this visitor.  They noticed many things about the rainbow -- some days it was brighter than others, some days it moved and danced on the wall.

 The children started to observe and document the rainbow. 

Their photographs captured the beauty and mystery of the rainbows (and were far superior to  the teachers' photos of the rainbow!)

The children really wanted to get to know the rainbow. 

And they were always sad when the rainbow vanished

There were many questions to contemplate:

How does the rainbow get into our classroom?

Where does the rainbow live?

Does the rainbow have a family?

The children offered theories:

It rained yesterday and it got in here.

It got in the sky and then this is a reflection of the
rainbow!

You need a little rain and a little sunshine.
 

It’s coming from the rain.

(whispering) It needs some water. It needs rain and
sunlight. If it rains we will have to stay inside to see
the rainbow. You have to whisper!

When the curtain is not down on the window the
rainbow shines through.

It rained yesterday. It floated and floated and
floated. Then in came in the classroom. It dashed in
the door.

One child suggests that the rainbow gets into our classroom by floating down the chimney and then sneaking down the stairs to the classroom.  

Drawing the rainbow floating down the chimney

The rainbow has hands to push open the classroom door:

Rainbow hands for opening the door

     The children continue to think deeply about the rainbow:

Where does the rainbow go?

Maybe back to his friends.

Maybe back to his house.

Rainbows don't have houses.

The sky is their house -- far, far, far away.  We can't even see it. It's blue and black.

Their care and concern for the rainbow is revealed in these conversations.  The rainbow's disappearance is of particular interest and inspires a theory involving storms and death:

Drawing of a dead rainbow.

The storm where the rainbow dies

The trap for the rainbow

When it dies it goes to the water.

Then she goes into the water.

Then it's dead.

The old ones goes around the little ones.

This tender theory about older rainbows taking care of new rainbows reveals the depths of young children's thinking.

 The children's fascination with the power and magic of rainbows is as beautiful as the rainbows that have been visiting our classroom:

Rainbows can go through anything....even a door.....even a locked window.

But how would it?  They don't have feet or arms.

They're clear.  They go through the walls.....the wall makes it.

There's air........

 The children have helped us to see rainbows in a very different way.