Building the James River Together

Recently I realized something about myself: I have always lived in a city near the James River. I grew up in Lynchburg (a city situated along the James), attended the College of William and Mary (located between the James and York Rivers), and for the last 18 years have lived in Richmond (a city divided by the James).* I've even worked in very close proximity to the James: years ago as an archaeologist in the Williamsburg area, I literally worked alongside the river every day for 3 months, feeling its welcome breeze in the stifling Virginia humidity. More recently, I've been observing my children getting to know the James River in ways I never experienced growing up. My 13-year old has been paddle boarding up and down the James and has seen parts of its shoreline only approachable by water craft. My younger child craves the rushing water of the James, communing with its current on the large smooth boulders near Belle Isle in what appears to be the deepest of private meditations.

So now I'm serendipitously considering the James River in a classroom context as part of this year's Umbrella Project. I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't often thought about this great river. Perhaps I just took it for granted; maybe I became complacent about my surroundings, or got too caught up in my daily life to really reflect on the beauty and bounty around me. Thankfully this year's Umbrella Project has motivated me to consider more deeply the city in which I live (and full disclosure- I actually live in North Chesterfield, but totally consider myself a Richmonder!) and I'm realizing that the James is the center and the soul of my city.

A display of various projects, including houses,
wildlife, a bridge, and a thunderstorm placed
around a teacher-created river



The construction of the river

To my delight, the children in the Rainbow Room have demonstrated a similar sentiment. One day about a month after school started, Tucker noticed the large map of Richmond displayed on our wall. It didn't take long for the river to get the children's full attention: it's a prominent geographical feature bisecting our city. Once a dialogue about the river began, many children responded with their own personal adventures or experiences with this part of their hometown. For some children, the bridge crossing the river to and from school is their experience with the James. For other people, the fun of playing in the water at Pony Pasture or visiting Texas Beach is their favorite part of the river. (Another dialogue occurred, too, in which children brainstormed about where they live, discussed their favorite places, and explored mapping these features with Lisa and Anna. The James River is one tangent of the Umbrella investigation in the Rainbow Room).

It made sense, therefore, to provide props and materials in the classroom to enhance and support this interest in the James River. We created a small river provocation with blue glass beads and Kapla planks and placed various children's projects around it. Several children made a bridge in the studio that we placed over the river. Children's representations of their own homes composed of tiny bricks held together with clay were placed along this river prop as well. It became clear, however, that this interest in place would continue to grow. We needed a bigger area for the children's play and creations. We needed a river, something large and permanent.

Luckily the November Parent Dialogue was just around the corner. We recruited the classroom parents to construct a permanent "James River" as a gift for their children using various open-ended materials and two large canvas-covered panels found in the Sabot basement. The final result is a lovely, enchanting depiction of our great river running continuously along the panels, fitting together nicely to create one large river landscape. The glued-down stones, beads, moss, wood, and other natural objects, provide a pleasing tactile experience for the children of the Rainbow Room. And it's even geographically accurate: landmarks such as the Nickel Bridge and the old bridge posts near Belle Isle were included.


A group of parents finish their half of the river

 The following morning, the Rainbow Room children entered the classroom with a delightful surprise: their very own James River. They were thrilled with this new landscape and immediately adopted it as their own. With the additional materials provided, children added their own touches to the landscape, and even moved a bridge to the river from another part of the room. Small tigers were the center of some fantasy place in the river, while other children preferred to play with their very own dolls (laminated photos of each child in the room). Their comments were not only observant, but also reflected an immediate connection with this river:
It has lots of rocks!...It's very long!...Look, I'm swimming!...Look, I'm on the bridge!...
Vivian: I see little rocks and I was pretending to hop on them
Julian: It has two bridges
Jeremy: I see big rocks
John: I see that one (pointing to one).
Will: I want to share my snake. It will go in the river
Beckett: There is a big bridge and some green stuff
Charlie: I notice there's a big and little bridge and I was swimming
Tucker: I was trying to save him (Charlie)


Tigers playing in the river

Logan declared, "I love this!" and Julian commented, "They did a good job!" Yes, they did.


 

Now we will build around the river those parts of our city that are meaningful to the Rainbow Room. We are also planning a field trip to the river in December. Lisa and I will continue to reflect and write about the children's Richmond and James River experiences. I'm grateful to be a part of this exploration. It's an honor to support some of the youngest residents of this city as they explore its rich natural and cultural landscapes. I'm at the beginning of this journey as well, and will develop a connection to my city (and its river) alongside them.










*I also lived in Nottingham, England for 3 years