🌿Experiencing Our Environment in the Present—Cultivating Joy, Wonder, and Connection

𖧧 Set ground rules for observing. What is the environment? What is nature? Make observations (what is man-made, what is natural).

𖧧 Create a community chart with our questions and wonders.

𖧧 Introduce biodiversity as they’re noticing different types of things in the environment.

𖧧 Add a weekly nature journal where students reflect on their experiences outdoors.

𖧧 As a class, choose a space you want to return to.

𖧧 The environment  includes the natural and built environment and exists in many forms around our school.

𖧧 We notice plants, trees, and areas with wildlife.

𖧧 There are different types of green spaces: grassy fields, garden beds, forests, etc.

𖧧 Helps us see that our environment is made up of many different elements that all interact.

𖧧 Visit different spots around school (under a tree, on the grass, near a garden, by a sidewalk, etc.). Sit quietly for a few minutes in each spot, notice our feelings, and use words, drawings, or movements to express how we feel. Discuss how these spots make us feel.

𖧧 Choose a favorite outdoor spot at school. Write or draw how it feels and what we notice. Share with the class.

𖧧 The environment affects how we feel—some areas feel calm, while others feel busy or warm.

𖧧 We each have a personal relationship with our environment. Noticing and reflecting helps us feel connected to it.

𖧧 Helps us recognize that green spaces provide comfort and well-being for people and animals while fostering respect and care for our environment.

𖧧 Read My Forest is Green and discuss how different textures, smells, and sounds are used to describe nature. Go outside to use our senses (sight, touch, sound, smell) to observe nature more deeply.

𖧧 Nature has unique textures, smells, sounds, and colors.

𖧧 Using our senses helps us describe and understand nature better.

𖧧 We can describe nature in more detail by using our senses to make observations.

𖧧 Part A - Green Spaces: Create a map of our environment and mark areas with trees, grass, pavement, etc. Compare areas with many trees versus few or none. Ask: Where are the trees? What do we notice? How are spaces similar or different? What are we wondering?

𖧧 Part B - Biodiversity: Observe and count different living things in these spaces: animals, birds, insects, plants, trees, and more. Identify how many or how much of each we can see. Ask: What else is in our environment? How much or how many living things Animals, birds, insect, plants, trees, other

𖧧 Part C - Biodiversity Connection: Ask: How are all these things connected? Discuss relationships between plants, insects, birds, and animals in each space. Imagine what would happen if our school had only one type of plant (monoculture).

𖧧 Green spaces at school vary in size, location, and type of plants. Some areas have lots of trees and plants, while others have very few. The distribution of greenery affects shade, temperature, and biodiversity.

𖧧 Green spaces with more plants often have more biodiversity—we see a variety of birds, insects, and other animals. Areas with fewer trees may have less shade and fewer species.

𖧧 Everything in the environment is interconnected. Trees provide homes for birds and insects, flowers attract pollinators, and plants help clean the air. A monoculture would reduce diversity and make our environment more vulnerable to pests, disease, and climate changes.

𖧧 Mapping helps us notice patterns in our environment and think about how different areas affect us.

𖧧 Understanding what lives in our environment helps us see how plants support wildlife and recognize how a lack of biodiversity can affect ecosystems.

𖧧 Recognizing biodiversity’s role helps us protect ecosystems and promote a balanced environment. Encouraging a variety of plant life makes spaces more resilient, healthy, and beneficial for all species.