Uncovering frass trumpets, collecting insects, tracing shadows, and searching for spider webs – this autumn in more than 50 schools across Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Massachusetts, hundreds of volunteers and thousands of students and classroom teachers are once again starting their school year with The Nature Program.
Below are some snapshots from Four Winds’ trainers as they prepare for their first workshops of the school year, focusing on one of The Nature Program’s five different yearlong concepts.
In the Ecosystems concept we meet some animals and plants that are part of different ecosystems and consider the interactions we observe as we explore the out-of-doors. Signs of Leaf Eaters introduces the idea of a food web and the energy flow from sun to plants to animals.
In our Patterns in Nature concept we practice sorting and classifying as well as describing and recording why objects or organisms belong in a certain group. We learn what makes an insect an insect in All Sorts of Insects, and through outdoor observations of common insects we learn to recognize patterns that help us classify them into groups.
When we study the Earth concept, explorations start with the sun as the engine that powers Earth’s major systems. In Sunlight and Shadow we see how and why we experience day and night and the seasons, and we’ll consider how sunlight supplies the energy for photosynthesis, fuels the water cycle, and provides the right conditions for life.
Throughout Structure and Function we compare different organisms as we think about how physical and behavioral characteristics relate to important functions in their lives and how they affect each organism’s ability to live and grow and have offspring. In Spiders – Web-builders and Wanderers, we take a close look at spiders, noting special structures like spinnerets, pedipalps, and fangs.
During the year of studying Cycles, we meet different plants and animals, learning about their life cycles in the turning of the seasons. In Insect Life Cycles we explore how insects go through distinct stages as they develop, undergoing metamorphosis as they change from young to adult.
With five different yearlong concepts to explore together, our Nature Program volunteers AND the children with whom they’re learning all have many opportunities to be outside really getting to know nearby nature.