A Day in the Forest

Just Around the Riverbend

"Your deepest roots are nature.  No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation."
-Charles Cook

Everywhere we look nature stares us back in the face---we just have to take the time to notice it.

Everybody Talks

Today we spent a day in the forest.
We learned that everything in the forest,
each tree.
each leaf,
each animal,
tells a story.

"Part of your role is to guide students in their understanding of what can be explored through direct experimentation and what may require research from outside sources." (Koch 197).

Our exploration in education today occurred in centers.
Each center had something to do with a product of the forest.
As students during this exploration, we were guided with what to explore, but not told specifically how, why, or what specific notes to take.
I really like this approach to centers because the few guidelines given allows the students to explore and actually experiment in discovering information about the topic.
This style of teaching promotes inquiry learning and ensures that the students tap into their prior knowledge as well as their creative side.

Jump on it!

Each center had something engaging and exciting for us to do and we were anxious to get started!

A simple piece of blank paper can serve as a writing journal for each station.

Technology can be used in centers as sources of education, exploration, and visual aids. 

 

iPads and worksheets are helpful to research information and begin discussions about parts of trees.

 

At any age, books can be used to engage students, enlighten them of new information and spark interest in new ideas.  A simple paper plate can serve as the basis of creating one's own life story like the trunk of a tree.

 

Tree cookies can be used to demonstrate the growth patterns of trees and tell a tree's story.

They can also be used to incorporate a child's imagination and artistic ability into a name tag or a special memory for the future.

 

Owl pellets, if you can get over the gross factor, are an awesome way to let students explore the circle of life.  It was interesting to figure out exactly what type of rodent an owl had for its meal.

 

The proscope technology allows the student to further explore the bones of animals they have discovered on a larger scale.  

Family Science Night

After a fun day in the forest we had to prepare for our school wide family science night. 

This type of event promotes science but also allows students and their families to openly try experiments and become excited about science.

Our experiment for the event was exploring bubbles.

Our materials were simple:

straws

tubs

black construction paper

bubble solution

Sometimes the most exciting experiments have the simplest ingredients.

With our tools, we were able to play and create bubbles.

We also were able to demonstrate how to predict when bubbles will pop.

 

When you look really closely at a bubble, you will see that there are colors inside swirling around the structure of the bubble.  There are also little black dots that float around in the swirling colors.  When those little black dots come together to form a singular black dot on the top of the bubble, the bubble is just about ready to pop.  If one is watching the bubbles extremely close, one can even time exactly when it will pop.

 

All in all, my day in the forest and night with science and the families was so much fun!

I wonder what will happen next week when we take a look at a day in the classroom!

-Ms. V