Content Objectives
My plan is to use authentic Spanish language texts in this unit in order to present students with opportunities to immerse themselves in the Spanish language using authentic target language nonfiction writing: news articles, web pages, social media, and books, accompanied by culture rich realia such as infographics, charts, graphs, and maps. It is my intention to incorporate authentic texts and realia into this unit so that students can have exposure to the Spanish language through the materials from the everyday life of native speakers. Authentic text exposes students to culture because it is written for native speakers, by native speakers and has clear context. Some authentic texts and realia have built in supports for language learners like pictures, graphs, and maps. Both can offer language in small chunks making it more manageable for students. The language included in such realia as infographics, charts, and maps is highly contextualized making it easy for students to acquire new vocabulary quickly. “Language expresses cultural reality.”3
Incorporating authentic text and realia, which are objects and activities used in the classroom to relate what is being taught to the real life of the people being studied,4 not only enriches students’ vocabulary in the target language but it increases their understanding of the target language culture(s). Realia involves the senses in the learning process, by fostering creativity and stimulating the mind. Through realia students are exposed to real discourses, which in turn engages and motivates them in the process of language learning and ensures they learn to use the target language in various contexts. Authentic materials keep students informed about what is happening in the world while increasing their global awareness. Bringing realia and authentic text into the World Language classroom creates opportunities for students to be active learners and teachers to be facilitators, allowing lessons to be more interactive and students more independent. Students feel more comfortable with authentic materials and realia, which increases student motivation. Increased motivation leads to increased language use which leads to improved proficiency.5
I plan to pepper my activities throughout this unit with authentic texts and realia including target language television shows, documentaries, and videos about nature, using these to help teach my students the needed vocabulary for particular focuses in journaling. First hand photographs and videos of nature taken on my travels to other countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and Puerto Rico will be included providing my students the opportunity to observe some aspects of nature in target language speaking countries that they might not otherwise have the chance to observe. Infographics in the target language are a great tool for teaching the focus language vocabulary within this unit: line, color,shape, form and texture, sound, and taste.
Student Background Knowledge
During the year of Spanish prior to this unit, students completed a nine-week unit of study on Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands while reading the TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) novel El Capibara Con Botas in which they learn in detail about the biodiversity of this country, native flora and fauna, the life cycle of the Amazon Rainforest and specifically its effect on the global water cycle, native predators and prey. My students were exposed to all of these aspects of nature through literature in the target language, documentaries in both English and the target language, infographics and maps written in Spanish. Many of these students then took advantage of the opportunity to travel to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with me to experience first-hand what they had read and studied about this biodiverse country.
My students will approach this unit having the following target language vocabulary already in their Spanish toolkits from their previous year of Spanish; days of the week, months of the year, numbers from zero to one hundred, seasons, and the weather. All of this vocabulary is necessary for them when recording observations in their nature journals. Each entry will begin with the day, date, time, season, and weather at the time of their observations.
Place-Based Education
Definition
I believe it helpful to understand the concept of Place-based education and its benefits to the learner. According to the Center for Transformative Learning at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, “Place-based learning is an educational approach that focuses on developing student’s sense of place and learning through exploring their environment.”6 The Center for Place-based Education at Antioch University further explains this educational approach as emphasizing hands on, real world experiences, academic experiences that encourage students to develop stronger ties with their community, foster their appreciation for the natural world around them, and heightens their commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens.7 Place-based education presents “learning as intimately tied to environmental stewardship and community development.”8
Place in place-based education is defined by its human scale: a house, school, neighborhood, community, a forest.9 For place-based education to be effective as a teaching and learning model especially in a world language classroom it is essential to focus on nature even if the natural environment typically goes unnoticed or is under stress, as it is for many of my students who live in urban areas. According to Gregory Smith, an innovator in the field of place-based education, the focusing on the local environment that is overlooked or under stress is part of the innovation of this learning approach.10
Guiding principles
Place-based learning is guided by six learning principles: local to global, learner-centered, inquiry based, design thinking, community as classroom, and interdisciplinary approach. Four of these principles align very closely with our MYP Learner Attributes and because they do, this will facilitate my students’ understanding.
The first place-based learning principle is local to global context in which local learning serves as a model of global understanding, connections and challenges. This aligns with the MYP Learner Attribute of knowledgeable, “We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.”11 Incorporating the place-based principle of local to global context in my unit will afford me the opportunity to work with my students encouraging them to explore relevant and significant concepts along with coaching them to remember what they learn in order to draw upon that knowledge and apply it in new situations.
Another guiding principle of place-based learning is a learner-centered apprach. Including this principle in my unit allows for personally relevant learning for my students and enables student voice and responsibility. In order to employ this principle, I will focus on the MYP Learner Attribute of risk-taker in which “We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.”12 It is important for my students to hear, see and experience the significance of risk-taking in the world language classroom on a daily basis. In order for this to occur, it is necessary for me as the teacher to build a culture of risk-taking in my classroom. There are several strategies that I will implement in order to create and sustain this culture and I will discuss these in detail in the Teaching Strategies section of this unit.
Inquiry-based is the third guiding principle of place-based learning. In this principle, learning takes place through observation, posing pertinent questions, making predictions, and collecting and recording data in order to understand the economic, ecological, and socio-political world.13 For the purposes of this unit, I will be focusing on my students’ understanding of the ecological world. Inquirers is the MYP learner attribute that aligns most closely with this guiding principle of place-based learning. “We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.”14 International Baccalaureate research has shown that students who employ the skills of an inquirer more often think critically, creatively, and reflectively. These students use prior knowledge to build upon when approaching new information. They research, gather new information and analyze their findings in order to create new understanding. Inquiring students realize that there may be more than one answer to any given question or problem. They are able to refine their findings and begin the inquiry process again.15 This guiding principle of place-based learning will be the guiding force behind this entire unit as my aim is to develop a curiosity about the natural world within my Spanish students.
An additional guiding principle of place-based learning is an interdisciplinary approach. Here the traditional subject area content and skills are taught using an integrated, interdisciplinary, and sometimes project-based approach in which all learners are held accountable and challenged.16 This guiding principle clearly aligns with the International Baccalaureate interdisciplinary approach to learning. In the MYP, “interdisciplinary learning supports students to understand bodies of knowledge from two or more disciplines or subject groups, in order to integrate them and create new understanding.”17 As a teacher of middle school students, I understand the value in organizing student learning at this level into disciplinary departments in order to meet the needs of increasing specialization. However, our constantly changing world demands education that inspires students to integrate disciplines in innovative and imaginative ways. As knowledge and information grow, it will be imperative for our students to successfully integrate the perspectives of various disciplines in order to understand complex ideas and issues.
Community as Classroom is the guiding principle of place-based learning in which communities serve as learning ecosystems. Experts, both locally and regionally, experiences and places are all a part of the expanded meaning of classroom.18 This guiding principle encourages expanding the view of the classroom to include various venues for learning such as bringing content and guest speakers from the community into the classroom, taking students on learning adventures outside of the classroom into the community, and doing an activity outside that could have been done inside the classroom. Venues such as these develop robust connections between our students and their community. I am creating real world learning experiences by using the community as a classroom. My students’ appreciation for the natural world will be heightened as I break down the barriers between the classroom and the community. Their interest in engaging in improving both community life and environmental quality will increase. It is my hope that by emphasizing hands-on learning grounded in community the academic achievement of my students will increase and they will develop a stronger commitment to community, which in turn will encourage the development of active, contributing citizens.
The final guiding principle of place-based learning is design thinking. While I will not include the sixth guiding principle in the design of my unit, I will provide a brief explanation of it. Design thinking provides students with a systematic approach to make meaningful impact within their communities through the curriculum.19 Design Thinking gives students an intentional platform to connect their curriculum to opportunities and challenges in the real world. It is human-centered coming from the empathy and understanding of others’ needs. It is collaborative benefitting greatly from the view and opinions from multiple perspectives. Design thinking is optimistic, believing that no matter what, we can create change and working to create that change can be an enjoyable process no matter what constraints present themselves. Finally, it is experimental as it gives the students permission to fail and to learn from their mistakes by coming up with new ideas, receiving feedback on those ideas, and then iterate. In other words, design thinking is about believing in the possibility of change and that students have the power to make that change happen.20
Nature Connectedness
Nature connectedness is a person’s subjective sense of their relationship with the natural world. It is considered to be an aspect of one’s personality going beyond the individual just having contact with nature. It includes individual differences in what one feels, thinks and experiences in their sense of connection with the natural environment. The term was developed due to individuals commonly reporting that they feel emotionally close to, and an integral part of, nature.21
There are numerous benefits to connecting with nature. Happiness has proven to be the strongest psychological benefit in relation to connecting with nature. One psychological study found that “the relationship appears to be positive and significant. In general, individuals who are more connected to nature tend to be happier.”22 Research has proven that exposure to the natural environment can alleviate mental fatigue, improve attention and increase vitality. Overall, evidence suggests that contact with nature has important health effects, especially for people living in urban settings. A 2018 study by Twohig-Bennet and Jones found a correlation between exposure to “greenspace” and physical health benefits such as lower blood pressure, lower incidents of diabetes and stroke, and better overall health,23 In a 2020 study, Martin, White, Hunt, Richardson, Paul, and Burt discovered that being in nature at least once a week was associated with improved general health regardless of the subjects’ socioeconomic status.24 By exposing my students to nature on a regular basis I hope to foster a positive sense of nature connectedness in their lives.
Who doesn’t love being outdoors and enjoying some fresh air? The beauty of nature fascinates us and brings us together no matter our cultural background or language. As previous mentioned, being surrounded by nature has the power to relax us and reduce stress, and it increases pleasant feelings. It has great benefits for everyone’s well-being and health. Being outside and talking about nature in Spanish is a wonderful way to develop and improve comprehension of the language, conversational skills and fluency. In addition, one can revel in their connectedness with nature enjoying the weather, plants, animals, sceneries, and landscapes while practicing the language.
For most of my students, in nature is where they play games and discover living things and unique places. Because nature is a part of their everyday life, they need to be able to express their connectedness to nature proficiently in the target language. In order to accomplish this, my students will need the vocabulary, communications skills, and fluency in the target language. What better way to develop what is needed to express themselves than by immersing them in nature, the very topic they are exploring.
Nature Journaling
Definition
Simply put nature journaling is “the practice of writing or drawing in response to nature.”25 John Muir Laws in his book written with Emily Lygren, How to Teach Nature Journaling: Curiosity, Wonder, Attention, defines nature journaling as “collecting and organizing your observations, questions, connections, and explanations on the pages of a notebook using words pictures, and numbers.”26 He further goes on to explain nature journaling as using words, drawings, and numbers to collect and record your observations, queries, explanations and connections on the pages in a notebook.
Health Benefits
As a participant in the seminar led by Dr. Jill Campbell, entitled “Writing about Nature,” I learned about the many health benefits derived from journaling about nature. The articles that we read and the discussions that we had surrounding this topic spurred me on to do some research of my own. In my research, I happened upon an informative Brain Science podcast by Dr. Ginger Campbell in which she discusses research on the aging brain and the benefits to keeping a nature journal. Allow me to share with you here some of what Dr. Ginger Campbell discussed.
Natural journaling is like exercise for the brain. It is a wonderful way to keep your brain in shape, strengthening already existing neuron connections and creating new ones. The more you practice nature journaling, the more neurons build up to support it. By consistently practicing nature journaling, you can literally rewire your brain.
Much as you tend to a garden by providing fertilizer and water, nature journaling waters your brain and your brain needs oxygen. There is evidence in research that shows walking is a wonderful way to exercise your heart. Incorporating walking into your nature journaling practice fertilizes your heart and waters your brain.
The skills used and developed in natural journaling, observing drawing, writing, and learning about the natural world around us are not only useful but also help to maintain cognitive function in adults and develop cognitive skills in our students.27
Academic Benefits
The importance of educating our students in the great outdoors is frequently over looked due to an emphasis on standardized test outcomes, a focus on classroom learning, and most recently, the long period of remote learning experienced by our students due to COVID-19. There are numerous benefits to incorporating nature and nature journaling into our students’ learning environments. Here are a few academic benefits that I found in my research.
Being outdoors is good for the brain. In addition to the health benefits of nature journaling that I previously mentioned, I encountered the results of a study conducted by The University of Illinois’ Landscape and Human Health Laboratory that discovered that access to nature decreases the symptoms of ADHD in children. It also has been found to reduce stress and improve sleep.28
When children learn in nature, academic performance increases. The results of a study conducted in California by the American Institute of Research indicated that children whose curriculum included outdoor learning, including but not limited to nature journaling, demonstrated an increase in standardized test scores. They developed an enhanced attitude toward school. Their in-school behavior improved. Student attendance was greater. There was an over-all increase in student achievement.29 In this same study, a section of the students involved were second language learners, specifically English Language Learners (referred to as EL students in the results). According to the results, these students experienced significantly larger gains than their non-EL counterparts in cooperation, leadership, relationship with peers, and motivation to learn. It is my hope to experience similar results with my Spanish students, also second language learners, as we venture into the world of nature journaling in the target language.30
Journaling about nature outdoors develops observational skills. Nature journaling encourages slowing down. It offers the students permission to stop and take everything in and notice all of the details. Journaling helps students to see in a new and different way. Once the students begin to really observe they begin to discover the captivating details of nature. Kelly Johnson in her blog titled, Sparking Wonder and Connection Through Nature Journaling calls the fascinating details of nature “nature’s whispers.”31
Multisensory Approach to Learning
Definition
The Multisensory Approach to Learning is a method of instruction that can be defined as engaging two or more of the senses, sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to strengthen memory and recall. This method employs the learners’ full range of cognitive abilities.32
Benefits to Using the Multisensory Approach
Our students’ brains are creating neurological synapses all of the time as their brains develop. It is easier for them to make connections and recall information the more synapses they have. If connections are not made, they are lost, possibly for life. Engaging the senses helps students create connections and grasp information by activating the areas of the brain tied to memory.33 Offering multiple entry points to learning acknowledges where children are coming from and helps to get them where they want to be. In this sense, multisensory learning is about connections.
An added benefit of multisensory learning is that it is highly engaging. Multisensory experiences are very active and can involve reading, making, talking, singing, dancing, and moving.34 The most engaged students are always utilizing their senses. When given the opportunity, students will demonstrate their understanding using their dominant senses.
Multisensory learning can be viewed as an act of service. Students are working together, taking on different roles in the learning process such as student, collaborator, or teacher. In each of these roles different senses are engaged. In the role of student, one can both see and listen. In the role of collaborator, one can both speak and create. In the role of teacher, one can lead the student toward understanding using the way that best reaches them. Therefore, multisensory learning is by nature a social process in which students are continually serving each other in small but significant ways.35
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