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Grade 1: Earth & Space Systems
Grade 1: Earth & Space Systems
Daily & Seasonal Changes
Daily & Seasonal Changes
For PDSB Educators: if you are looking to reach out to the Peel Field Centres for further ways to connect your learning to the environment visit the PDSB Field Centre Share Point site.
For PDSB Educators: if you are looking to reach out to the Peel Field Centres for further ways to connect your learning to the environment visit the PDSB Field Centre Share Point site.
Photo by: @billiejooutdoors
Nature Journaling: I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of...
Nature Journaling: I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of...
Nature Journaling is an incredible tool for students to capture daily and seasonal changes - weather, clothing choices, activities, living things. Their nature journal allows them to write/draw their observations helping to cement the concepts being taught.
Nature Journaling is an incredible tool for students to capture daily and seasonal changes - weather, clothing choices, activities, living things. Their nature journal allows them to write/draw their observations helping to cement the concepts being taught.
At this age all three prompts "I notice..., I wonder...?, and It reminds me of..." become very intuitive. However, the last statement becomes very important for making the connections. Encourage students to begin writing using single words or simple sentences. Please note that spelling is not the focus in a nature journal. At this age you may start to see art fears - ensure you are re-iterating it is not about a pretty picture. It is about their observations. Please see the link below for tips on giving feedback. Using a combination of words, pictures and numbers allows the students multiple tools to document their observations. With permission, Bethan Burton has allowed us to link to her website as she has written a blog post for Teaching nature journaling at all ages.
At this age all three prompts "I notice..., I wonder...?, and It reminds me of..." become very intuitive. However, the last statement becomes very important for making the connections. Encourage students to begin writing using single words or simple sentences. Please note that spelling is not the focus in a nature journal. At this age you may start to see art fears - ensure you are re-iterating it is not about a pretty picture. It is about their observations. Please see the link below for tips on giving feedback. Using a combination of words, pictures and numbers allows the students multiple tools to document their observations. With permission, Bethan Burton has allowed us to link to her website as she has written a blog post for Teaching nature journaling at all ages.
Here are some more ideas to get you started.
Engage the fives senses (whenever possible)
Make leaf prints ( paint the leaf and press the print into the journal)
Make leaf rubbings
Trace the items they are looking at
Add leaves into the journal using tape
Count the birds/squirrels/insects etc.
Measure as much of the phenomena as the students can using non standard and standard units of measurement.
Here is a downloadable lesson from John (Jack) Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren book: How to Teach Nature Journaling. All resources shared with permission. "I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of..."
GIVING FEEDBACK here is a fantastic resource from Jack and Emilie
NOTE: You are encouraged to spend time in the outdoors Nature Journaling. However, you can also bring nature inside, look out your wonder window, have a refrigerator Safari or even observe a house plant or pet.
Photos by @billiejooutdoors
Daily and Seasonal Changes
Daily and Seasonal Changes
1) Open your door or window and feel what the temperature is like outside. Ask yourself the following:
1) Open your door or window and feel what the temperature is like outside. Ask yourself the following:
Does the temperature feel cold, cool, warm or hot?
What should I wear today to be prepared for the weather?
Does the temperature change from the morning to the afternoon to night time? Why do you think this happens?
Using a journal to document your observations for one week, don't forget to draw a picture of what you chose to wear that day.
2) How do the seasons affect what we do outside? For example we cannot build a snowman outside in the winter. Brainstorm a list of activities that change throughout the seasons. Can we adapt these activities at all? For example in the winter we can play indoor soccer.
2) How do the seasons affect what we do outside? For example we cannot build a snowman outside in the winter. Brainstorm a list of activities that change throughout the seasons. Can we adapt these activities at all? For example in the winter we can play indoor soccer.
3) How do the seasonal changes affect plants and animals? Use a tree or an animal as an example and draw, paint or colour how it changes through the seasons.
3) How do the seasonal changes affect plants and animals? Use a tree or an animal as an example and draw, paint or colour how it changes through the seasons.
4) Go for a walk or look out the window to see what other things are being affected by the season. For example:
4) Go for a walk or look out the window to see what other things are being affected by the season. For example:
Leaves are falling off trees
Buds are starting to sprout
There are a lot of insects or there are no insects
The flowers are big and blooming or there are no flowers
The animals are very active or there are hardly any animals
Anything else you observe that the seasons/weather are affecting
NOTE: This can be used with the Nature Journaling activity at the top of the page.
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