This week Mrs. Harris’s 3rd grade spent some time outside making a large mortar & pestle out of a log. The process involves clay, fire, charcoal, and stones. Making things such as this is done in the 3rd grade to foster the development of practical skills. Around the age of 9 children begin to see themselves as separate from their parents — learning how to make things, cook, and clean, instills within them the feeling that they will someday be able to stand on their own and take care of themselves.
As the log’s top was burning, some of the students started making an elaborate city at the base of a tree. Below are a few photos of what they came up with. . . .

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