Geography
Grade 8: Geography
• Global Settlement: Patterns & Sustainability
• Global Inequalities: Economic Development & Quality of life
Nature Journaling: I Notice..., I Wonder...?, It Reminds me of...
Nature Journaling is an incredible tool for students to look for interaction in the world around them and the impact on our environment. 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, simple sentences, lists, point form, paragraphs and even poetry. 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)
Can you see monuments, buildings, parks, plants or water that interest you? Does it have a name, historical influence, etc? Does it have an impact on your feelings from the area?
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 encourage 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.
Is This Sustainable?
Sustainability means the ability to maintain or continue something at a certain level. This includes natural ecosystems. This means recognizing our connection to the natural world and giving back so that all things may continue to live and exist in a balanced and harmonious way. To give something in return for receiving something is called reciprocity.
Human settlement and need have impacted natural landscapes and ecosystems. Settlement has taken place in certain areas due to the needs of people and the available resources. As the world population grows so does the need for resources and land. But what is sustainable?
Analyze the maps below and consider some questions about the pattern of settlement in Peel Region.
Begin with the Native Lands map. Find where you live on this map. Whose traditional territory do you live on? List the names of the Indigenous people who have lived, and may still live, on the land you call home. Take a moment to acknowledge the land and the Indigenous people.
Now compare the other maps. Find where you live on each of the maps.
Notice what is around the place where you live both in the past and present day.
Notice changes in population (find the chart on the map of 1933)
Notice the changes in how the land is being used over time and where people are living.
Why do you think people settled where they did?
What role might the physical environment have played in the settlement pattern?
What predictions can you make about settlement in Peel region over the next 10, 20 or 50 years?
Go outside for a walk and make some observations about your community. Would you describe your community as urban, rural, industrial, natural? Is it a mixture of those uses? What percentage would you assign to each of those land uses in your local community? How about in your city or town? (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon)
How might human settlement have affected the natural environment? How might it do so in the future?
What conflicts can you see when it comes to past, present day and future growth of the population in Peel region? ( for example: think of Indigenous people, the environment and the land)
List ways in which humans are connected to the land and some of the gifts that we receive from the natural world.
In the spirit of reciprocity, what might be done, or has already been done, to help make human settlements more sustainable? How can we give back to the natural world we are a part of?
Click on this link Explore Peel: An Interactive Timeline to further explore the history of settlement in Peel region.
Photo by: Dariusz Sankowski - Unsplash.com
Nature Journaling: Event Map
In the activity Event Map from John (Jack) Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren's book: How to Teach Nature Journaling. " Students draw a treasure map as they move through an outdoor area, highlighting the cool or interesting things they notice along the way."
All resources shared with permission.