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               If you are thinking a year ahead, plant a seed.
              If you are thinking a decade ahead, plant a tree.
           If you are thinking a century ahead, educate the people.
                       (Chinese proverb)

Respecting the natural Environment starts in the early years

 


Many children today have limited opportunities for outdoor free play and contact with nature. With smaller backyards, and a ‘culture of fear’ many parents are afraid to let their children play freely outside. Fear of accidents whilst playing outside, fear of sunburn, fear of insect-born diseases and the fear of abduction have all contributed to children spending less time outside enjoying the natural environment. White (2004)

 

Modern research distinctly shows that outdoor play and natural environments are valuable to children in many ways. Playing outdoors is significant for helping children to develop competences for creativity, symbolic play, problem solving and intellectual development. As well as proven benefits for mental wellbeing in children, outdoor play also has distinct physical benefits for growing children. These include helping children to gain gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination and helping to prevent obesity. 

 

Another advantage of outdoor play is the sensory stimulation it provides. Interacting with natural environments lets children learn with all of their senses; hearing, touching, smelling and seeing. It has long been well known that physical activity is valuable for children in many ways. Current research shows that children who have trouble concentrating benefit from playing outdoors, as after playing outdoors these children are better able to concentrate on tasks. 

 

Having natural environments also allows the opportunity for staff to teach children about the natural world they live in and how to care for it. Activities such as planting seeds and watching them grow throughout the year helps children to comprehend and learn more about nature. (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria. 2013)

Investigating Leaves

This activity involves students leaving the classroom and searching the school for  3-5 different kinds of leaves. Encourage students to pick the leaves off the ground and not off  the trees.

 

When back inside the classroom students examine and sort their leaves into groups based on  attributes they choose, but can explain and share with the class.

 

If no one has collected any unique leaves be prepared to show the students some different leaves, for example pine needles. Let the students compare the needles to their own leaves and explain that entire trees also have different shapes.

 

Go back outside and ask students to try and find the tree that their leaves came from. Walk with students as they compare the leaves they have to ones growing on trees. When they find  a match examine the leaves with the student and ask questions such as:

  • Where on the branch do leaves grow?

  • How are they attached?

  • Do all leaves on the tree match exactly?

  • What color are the leaves?

  • Also examine other characteristics of the tree. For example, what is the bark of the tree like?

  • Are flowers, nuts, or fruit on the tree? What do they look like?

 

Continue to allow students time to find the tree that their leaf came from and ask questions that require them to compare the trees they've looked at.

Australian Curriculum links

 

Content descriptor (ACSSU003)

 

Objects are made of materials that have observable properties

 

Content Description (ACSIS011)

 

Explore and make observations by using the senses

 

Content Description (ACSIS233)

 

Engage in discussions about observations and use methods such as drawing to represent ideas

Early Years Learning Framework

OUTCOME 1: Children have a strong sense of identity

 

  • Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency

  • Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect

 

OUTCOME 2: Children are connectedd with and contribute to their world

 

  • Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

 

OUTCOME 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

 

  • Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing

  • Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing

 

OUTCOME 4: Children are confident and involved learners

 

  • Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

  • Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

  • Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another

 

OUTCOME 5: Children are effective communicators

 

  • Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

Content Description (ACELY1647)

 

Deliver short oral presentations to peers

School Garden Rehabilitation

 

This project involves students working with the school gardener and identifying a garden area in the school they believe isn't striving.

 

Students discuss and identify with the gardener the reasons why the garden doesn't seem to be growing. 

 

Once they identify the problem students create a plan on how they can fix it. Together with the teacher and gardener students research how plants grow and what native plants are. They also draw garden designs, work as a team, visit the local nursery, learn about plant cuttings and make a plan on how they can fix the garden.

 

As the weeks go by students spend 2-3 afternoons a week working in the garden. In other subject areas students will learn what plants need to grow, how they grow and why the earth and humans need plants.

 

At the end of the project students can be proud of the contribution they made to their school and the environment.

Australian Curriculum links

 

 

Content Description (ACSIS011)

 

Explore and make observations by using the senses

 

Content Description (ACSIS233)

 

Engage in discussions about observations and use methods such as drawing to represent ideas

 

Content Description (ACSHE013)

 

Science involves exploring and observing the world using the senses

 

 

 

 

Content descriptor (ACELY1784)

 

Use interaction skills including listening while others speak, using appropriate voice levels, articulation and body language, gestures and eye contact

 

Content Description (ACELY1647)

 

Deliver short oral presentations to peers

 

Content Description (ACELY1648)

 

Identify some differences between imaginative and informative texts

 

Content Description (ACELY1651)

 

Create short texts to explore, record and report ideas and events using familiar words and beginning writing knowledge

Early Years Learning Framework

OUTCOME 1: Children have a strong sense of identity

 

  • Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency

  • Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect

 

OUTCOME 2: Children are connectedd with and contribute to their world

 

  • Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

 

OUTCOME 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

 

  • Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing

  • Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing

 

OUTCOME 4: Children are confident and involved learners

 

  • Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

  • Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

  • Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another

 

OUTCOME 5: Children are effective communicators

 

  • Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

References

 

White, R. (2012) Young Children's Relationship with Nature: Its Importance to Children's Development & the Earth's Future. Kansas City, USA: White Hutchinson Leisure & Learning Group

 

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Victoria.(2013) Natural environments. Retrieved from

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.education.vic.gov.au%2FDocuments%2Fchildhood%2Fproviders%2Fregulation%2Fpracnotesnaturalenv.pdf&ei=_IsvVPyhNsPV8gX32YCgCg&usg=AFQjCNHZ2I0ZvfSv4K_G08GxjS8Qv398rA

 

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