Curriculum Work
Genevieve Becker
Arts, Environment, and the Child
Classroom lesson/activity
Activity: learning the texture and smell of different objects found in nature.
Enactment: On Tuesday morning, (the day of the week that has allotted time nature walk), we will go on a nature walk. The only difference is students will collect a few objects found on the walk. Example: Sticks, leaves, cones, seeds….
Then when we arrive at the pond I will have a basket of already collected things. Example: A dish of dirt, acorns, stones, pine needles, walnut before they loose their exocarp, and walnuts after they loose their exocarp, sweet gum leaves and seeds.
We will pass around the objects and describe what they smell like and how they feel. Then I will ask them to close their eyes and see if they can guess what they are holding. (Alternative: use blind folds or ask who wants blind folds).
In heavy rain, bring activity under cover (where the basket ball hoops are or indoors).
Follow up activity: On Friday put some of the found objects into canisters or bags, depending on object…. Then pass them around one at a time and have children shake and smell containers and guess what is in them… Only use 3-5 objects, and pass around the whole circle one at a time.
