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INTRODUCTION: LET'S GET STARTED! 5
Exploring Nature in Winter e-Workshop
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0-1: Welcome! Important Things to KnowLecture1.1
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0-2: A Note From Victoria 30 minLecture1.2
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0-3: Key Reflective Questions 30 minLecture1.3
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0-4: Set Goals for You and Your Winter Program 30 minLecture1.4
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0-5: Become a “Winterscape” ResearcherLecture1.5
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Module 1: PREPARE & PLAN TO TEACH OUTDOORS IN WINTER 6
10 Nature-Based Activities
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1-1: Begin with Proper Outer Gear 30 minLecture2.1
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1-2: Discover Your Winter Teaching Routines Outdoors 30 minLecture2.2
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1-3: Make a Winter Garden Journal 30 minLecture2.3
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1-4: Create a Winter Themed Children’s Library 30 minLecture2.4
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1-5: Enjoy Wet Cold Weather OutdoorsLecture2.5
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1-6: LIVE SESSION: Natural Learning Outdoors in WinterLecture2.6
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Module 2: WINTER INSPIRED TEACHING AND LEARNING 6
10 Nature-Based Activities
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2-1: Transform Your Cold Weather Outdoor Classroom 30 minLecture3.1
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2-2: Let’s Play! 10 Nature-Based Winter Activities 30 minLecture3.2
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2-3: Behind the Scenes with Nicole Pelletier 30 minLecture3.3
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2-4: LIVE SESSIONS 30 minLecture3.4
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2-5: Inspire Outdoor Play & Learning in WinterLecture3.5
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2-6: Explore The Four Types of Gardens in WinterLecture3.6
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Module 3: YOUR COLD WEATHER OUTDOOR CLASSROOM 6
Winter Themed Children's Books
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3-1: Explore Water Research in Cold Weather 30 minLecture4.1
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3-2: Let’s Play! Ten Nature-Based Winter Activities 30 minLecture4.2
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3-3: Behind the Scenes with Peter Dargatz 30 minLecture4.3
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3-4: Establish “Moments of Science” in Winter 30 minLecture4.4
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3-5: Stay Outside LongerLecture4.5
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3-6: LIVE SESSIONLecture4.6
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Module 4: COLLABORATION & EMERGENT WINTER CURRICULA 6
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4-1: Learn through Reflection 30 minLecture5.1
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4-2: Let’s Play! Ten Nature-Based Winter Activities 30 minLecture5.2
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4-3: Build Collaboration Skills 30 minLecture5.3
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4-4: LIVE SESSION 30 minLecture5.4
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4-5: Emergent Curriculum with Megan GesslerLecture5.5
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BONUS: LIVE SESSION for GraduatesLecture5.6
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17 Comments
We became scientists when we were inquiring about what animals might do during the winter. We were looking for animal footprints, tried to identify them with the help of our animal footprint cards. We studied animal droppings in the forest, then researched indoors what these animals eat and what was the evidence that the droppings belonged to a certain animal.
˝I know this is bunny poop because it is round, not oval like the deer’s poop.˝ ˝Look! This is dry grass…bunnies eat grass…˝
Each of the kids chose a forest animal that they were really interested in and wanted to find out more about. We set up a mini-library in our kindergarten pod with lots of non-fiction picture books. The children are researching, asking questions and looking for evidence, if possible, in the forest.
What a great idea for your children to research their animals! Exciting. It sounds like you are offering wonderful opportunities for them to learn so many things about the forest.
We had a beautiful journay by exploring the mushrooms! In the forest the children spotted some mushrooms.Following their interest we went on a mushroom hunt and found so many different kind of mushrooms. We brought them to the classroom and observe them. We, teachres were amazed also how many different mushrooms we found. During our observation we had a lots of questions: colors, where they grow, what shape they have, what happens with them at winter time, who eats them, why they are in the forest, if they are poisonous. We spent about 3 mounts for the mushroom inquiry, where we were a real scientists. I am going to share this journay on FB with pictures.
The inquiry questions are fantastic! It’s no wonder that you were able to spend so much time on it. It would be fun to compare your questions about mushrooms in different seasons. Well done. Can’t wait to see the pictures!
We planted seeds a couple of weeks ago and the children are using plant journals to learn and track the progress as our plants develop. I am brainstorming scientific questions that I can ask while they are observing and drawing in the journals. A child asked why the seedlings looked different from one another so I thought I would bring the question and the plants to group time for us to discuss together. As a teacher I will try to highlight science moments by bringing them to the whole group and having the children describe their discoveries or ask their questions to everyone. Thanks for the book suggestion that seems like a good one. Have you seen “Discovering Nature with Young Children” or “Exploring Water with Young Children”? They are also very good at helping children to think and act like scientists.
Exciting. I will be doing seeds this week and can’t wait to see the discoveries. Thanks for the book suggestions. They look great too.
I have done a couple of experiments this week where I have the children make a guess what they think will happen. I have posted photos on the FB page. One was what happens when you bring snow inside and how much water will be in the container. The other was what does a layer of fat do for animals in the winter? I am going to practice using the scientific terminology going forward when having science exploration. It is a good reminder that children need to learn the right words.
You are on your way!!! Brilliant science experiments. Thanks for posting pictures. Truly captures the fun.
We had an unexpected visitor at our feeders/bird restaurant this week…a red tailed hawk landed in the bushes where we have the feeders. One of the children exclaimed…all of the birds just flew away, do you think it was because this big guy just flew in? This experience lead to a wonderful discussions about birds and what they eat and their behavior. Some of the children understood the cycle and some were just happy to see the hawk. Very exciting and a wonderful moment of science. We read about birds all afternoon in our field guides and we also looked some up on the computer. And, some of the children wanted to get their journals and draw a picture of the hawk before they forgot what it looked like.
I can feel the renewed energy in this post! Excited children to see the results of a small change in their outdoor environment! An entire world just opened up. Fabulous! How wonderful to have had their nature journals and books all on hand. Teaching them where to focus this new energy is sensational!! Bravo!
what an amazing thing for them to see!!! so exciting ~ and I am sure SO memorable for the children 🙂
We have a lesson in our classroom called “sink/float”…I’ll try to describe it briefly here for anyone who might want to incorporate!
You have a bowl of objects (some will sink some will float) and a bowl of objects. Take one object and ask the child, what is your hypothesis ~ will this sink or float?” Then test by dropping the object in! You can sort the objects on a mat by those that sink and those that float. The children LOVE this activity and its a super simple way of getting them to test their hypotheses!
I’ll look forward to some other scienc-y ideas and will definitely take this inspiration to continue to use this important vocabulary in the classroom!
love it!
I love this idea! I have done the activity but using the new vocabulary to expand the scientific thinking is a great next step.
Yea!!!
LOVE this! I started up Mad Science Mondays in my pre-K classroom several years ago in January.It started indoors with one of my (still) all-time favorite teacher led experiments, the exploding cup of cocoa–but bit by bit, our science lessons extended outdoors and beyond Monday. The more I saw my students as scientists and gave them the supportive language and recognition of that, the more, they, too, saw themselves as scientists and accessed their critical thinking skills in all of our classroom endeavors. Even noticing the trajectory of a puddle collected at the bottom of a barely noticeable hill on the parking lot became an impromptu opportunity to talk about physics outdoors while on a rainy day walk. Even with my own young children, we use “real” scientific language and honor their observations and explorations for what they are in this moment–moments of science.
YES!!!!!