Silicone Cake

When an afterschool tinker time regular asked me if we had a caulking gun, I didn't now how to answer. Nothing we had done in CREATE called for that sort of tool. Besides, how would a fifth grader even know about caulking guns?

I did have one squirreled away from the workbench construction in 2014 and I told her we did. It was the end of the session and she went home before I was able to ask her why she wanted it.

She arrived for the next session carrying a brown shopping bag. Inside was a ziplock bag, a cake decorating tip and a cartridge of white silicone. I handed her the caulking gun and showed her how to use it.

The cartridge had been previously opened and the tip was irretrievably clogged. But a couple of quick slices with a box cutter exposed the gooey white insides. Using a couple of popsicle sticks, she gooped the silicone into the bag, squished it down toward the decorating tip and proceeded to create permanent cake decoration.

The most satisfying events in CREATE are those that originate from the students without prompting from me. This student created her project in her mind and then proceeded to meet each challenge and eliminate each obstacle. It doesn't get much better for any educator.