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Let the grass grow
When thinking about spaces that invite thinking, and learning look no further than a grass area in your space. Mark off a large circle of your grass to get a reprieve from being mown.
Over time your learners will notice
- grass and weeds grow only so high and stop
- flowers appear fairly early and consistently
- insects become easy to see and watching them is fascinating
- when they change perspectives or levels they notice different things
Your learners will have daily opportunities, no matter the season, to make discoveries like the beauty and strength of a spider web or the drone of a bee. Connections and interconnectedness become conversations to have.
puddles
Many of our learning spaces have hard surfaces where, when the weather is right, puddles form.
Why have the puddles formed in this place?
What do you notice about the puddle?
How can you explore it beyond splashing and jumping?
What happens if you drop a small pebble into it?
- at the edge
- closer to the middle
Can you see any reflections in the puddle? What do you notice about them?
Puddles are a wonderful gift to explore and learn from.
exploring the weather
The weather is a invitation to learning and thinking that is provided to us for no cost and with no preparation everyday.
Observing the weather, wondering about what you have noticed and discussing these is an effective way to connect learners to taiao (the natural world).
There are many meaningful ways you can take this learning. Do learners know...
- the types of clouds and what causes them to form?
- wind direction and compass points?
- how to create and use simple weather recording tools
- connections to maramataka including seasonal weather
- weather patterns for their local area
When regularly using the weather as a learning opportunity your learners will notice other connections like the behaviour of certain birds or insects in relation to the weather.