I just wanted to pitch in and give my support to Nancy Dammann's recommendations. I have been teaching preschool in a school with a strongly nature-based curriculum during the school year (when I am not doing seasonal field projects) for the past several years, and I can say that for that age group, it's way more about what you can experience. Those experiences give the best reference for later factual knowledge, and will very likely lead to continued interest in ecology. Plus it's just amazing the kind of "aha!" moments kids have when experiencing the natural world.
Kathryn Benson On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 5:45 AM, Swain, Pat (FWE) <[email protected]> wrote: > People have come up with neat ideas for working with pre-schoolers. I did > want to note that there are existing curricula (ums?)that have been tested > and developed for different grade levels that probably have figured out > various pitfalls and can save planning effort, or at least provide some > extra ideas. A couple of examples are: > > Project Wild - Growing Up Wild (http://www.projectwild.org/) ( > http://www.projectwild.org/GrowingUpWILD.htm) , Project Learning Tree ( > https://www.plt.org/environmental-education-for-early-childhood) > > I am not personally involved with these, although a friend in the agency > is the state coordinator for Project Wild. For anyone who wants detail > follow up, her contact info is on our website at > http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/education-events/growing-up-wild.html > > > Pat > ----------------------------------------------------------- > Patricia Swain, PhD > Natural Community Ecologist > Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program > Division of Fisheries & Wildlife > 1 Rabbit Hill > Westborough, MA 01581 > Phone: 508-329-6352 > www.mass.gov/nhesp > > Fri 11/13/2015 8:48 PM Jerry Tyrrell [[email protected]] > As someone who is new to environmental education (pre-school to middle > school) this has been extremely helpful, and I would love to hear what > others have to say. > > My two cents is to divert their attention from individual goals (we picked > radishes and each kid wanted to have the BIGGEST radish - it was a > distraction from the lesson). Focus on the group goals - lets see how many > radishes we can all pick together, or in the forest, how many different > kinds of seeds can we find. > > Looking forward to continued discussion! > Jerry > > On Fri, Nov 13, 2015 at 1:13 PM, Nancy Dammann <[email protected]> > wrote: > Hi, > A couple of brief thoughts: > Enthusiasm and getting kids to notice and observe and then remember seem > to be the keys in many successful programs. > Getting them to use their physical bodies is also very helpful-- move the > way an animal moves, or have them stand in different arrangements to > understand the way forest structure works. > And enthusiasm enthusiasm and building on their creativity. > > So for instance, you might have the kids sit, lay down, or stand, silently > facing towards the rainforest (not each other) for 2-3 minutes. Keep it > short. They are little so time seems much longer. Ask them first to just > close their eyes and listen. After about 30 seconds ask them to see if they > can hear new sounds. After thirty more seconds ask them to see if they can > smell things )eyes still closed) and then have them open their eyes and > just look. When the 2 minutes ends you can ask them to describe the sounds, > smells, and what they saw. They will probably at first think it was very > quiet and then be surprised at how much noise (insects, birds, monkeys, > wind) they heard... You can talk about how full of life your rainforest is. > How all the sounds/smells help us recognize different species etc. this > would highlight things like diversity, complexity. If you know that some > important things are no longer present--you could talk about what sounds > are missing from the forest. > > Then you could take them on a short walk that might highlight some > different things you would love them to know or observe. Maybe 2-3 > different habitats within the forest. You could tell them for instance to > pretend that they are tree seeds that have just fallen and need to grow > into trees. Ask them what they need to grow (water, light, etc). Have them > stand in different spots--are they getting enough light to grow? Do they > have enough room? You can talk in really general terms about how different > species have different requirements. Or you could have them each pick a > species( animal or plant) and as they walk try to find a place that could > be a good home. If they start getting bored/distracted/rowdy ask them to > walk the way their species would move. > > Let them act things out, have them try to learn how to make a howler > monkey call, and then talk a little about howler monkeys. > > Pick a couple of things you would like them to go home having a little > more idea about and find lots of ways to keep introducing it. > > Also, though they mostly won't remember the terms and details, you may be > surprised. My nieces went to an entirely outdoor nursery school (rain, > shine, or snow). One day when I was visiting I asked the older one what she > had learned in school that day--she said she learned about hibbbernnanation > (hibernation, she was three). I asked her what that was (I hadn't > understood what she said), she said it was when animals slept all winter. > She then through herself on the floor and stuck her arms and legs in the > air, "like this she said." Details aside, my niece is now nine, and I often > call on her for natural history information. > > They may not remember the details--but the feeling, your enthusiasm, and > some big points will probably stick. > > Best > Nancy > > > El viernes, 13 de noviembre de 2015, J C Voltolini <[email protected]> > escribió: > Dear friends, > > I am a University teacher and education coordinator in Brasil and our > Departament is testing a new Biology curriculum with courses like teaching > ecology, botany, zoology, microbiology. > > The idea is to develop methods to teach these areas in public secondary > schools but now I was invited to teach a field class for preschool kids (5 > years). > > I would to share ideas because the school is near a rainforest fragment > with howler monkies, a very good place to teach! I am thinking in an > practice about observation of plants to understand the structure of the > rainforest comparing herbs, brushes and trees. Any ideas? > > Some pictures of my teaching ecology activities: > https://www.facebook.com/ecotrop/media_set?set=a.10207129950628258.1073741841.1266679242&type=3&uploaded=83 > > Prof. Dr. J. C. VOLTOLINI > Biology Department > Universidade de Taubaté >
