Classroom Activities
Some of the classroom activities that will be done with this unit are utilized in the seminar with Jill Campbell.
Painting
Students will be given two canvases to produce what nature means to them. The first canvas will be given to them at the beginning of the unit with a straightforward direction. Paint what their idea or representation of nature means to them. The second canvas will be given to them at the end of the unit with the instruction to paint what their newfound sense of nature means after finishing the unit. I want to see how their ideas have changed and evolved into something more profound than what they initially began with.
Virtual Sit-Spot
Students will take a virtual field trip and interact with nature using free nature cameras. After 20 minutes of nature watching, students will write their thoughts and what they witnessed in their nature journals. Some days it will be at their discretion what they will write, and some days it will be teacher-led.
Actual Sit-Spot
Students will be taken to the park to sit and observe the natural world around them. Some days they will be given a specific focus, and some days they will have some autonomy. Any time they are in their sit-spot, it will be technology free for the first 15-20 minutes. They will be bused to the local park once a week for 6 weeks (about 1 and a half months) and have 40 minutes to complete the assignment for the day. As they repeatedly visit the same place in nature, they will eventually develop a personal relationship with nature. They will notice the changes in the surroundings in various weather types and seasons. Sit spots are excellent for reading, nature journaling, nature sketching, or thinking.
Picture Writing
On days without virtual sit-spots or actual sit-spots, students will be given picture books and nature-inspired writing prompts to write about in their nature journals based on the illustrations within.
Storytelling
Students will interview their family members with guided questions about their experiences with nature and what nature means to them. Some interviewed will come to the school and share their stories with the class. I will share my nature story with my students and interview my momma about her nature experiences, who will then come to the school and tell my students about them. Students will take from their families and mine a different aspect of nature, which will help transform their first painting into something more meaningful than their second one. Students will use the art of storytelling to provide the back-story behind the transformation of their two paintings to bring their artwork to life.
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