Chapter 2: The Library of Leaves
Connecting Threads
"Connecting ideas helps us see the full picture."
A corkboard with pictures connected by strings (yarn).
About this page
A corkboard covered in pictures, with strands of yarn stretching between them, gives children a detective's-eye view of what thinking actually looks like. Each string says these two things go together, and following the strings reveals a bigger picture no single clue could show. This is synthesis, the skill of connecting separate ideas into understanding, presented in a form kids can literally trace with a finger or a crayon. It is one of the richest pages for conversation, as Professor Hoot's library guide points out, because every child will connect the pictures a little differently.
Talk about it while you color
- Pick two pictures on the board. Why do you think a string connects them?
- If you added one more picture to the board, what would it show?
- What color yarn would you use for the most important connection?