Discovering Nature With Young Children - powered by www.3dissue.com <meta name="Keywords" content="Discovering Nature With Young Children"> <meta name="Description" content="The curriculum guide helps you prepare yourself and and your classroom for a new approach to science learning. It then assists you in planning open and focused explorations, ranging from indoor terraria to outdoor animal searches and habitat discussions. You will also learn how to better observe, assess, and document the children's learning. "> <style type="text/css">  </style> <Style> body {overflow-y:hidden;} </style> </head> <body bgcolor="#333333" onresize="window.location=window.location;"> <div id="flashcontent" class="flashcontent"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="100%" height="100%" id="Discovering-Nature" align="middle"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="movie" value="3dissue.swf?myURL=21" /> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#333333" /> <embed src="3dissue.swf?myURL=21" quality="high" bgcolor="#333333" width="100%" height="100%" name="Discovering-Nature" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /> </object></div> <div id="content" class="content">Teaching Plan Review the parts of discovering nature. Open Exploration These explorations of the outdoor environment and the indoor terrar- ium occur two or three times a week and last for a few weeks, or until children develop an interest in a focused exploration. The Tree/Bush Study These monthly observations ideally begin in September. Children create a class book to document the study. Ongoing explorations of the outdoor area and the indoor terrarium These explorations occur two or three times a week at the terrarium and outdoors, depending on the weather and the season. They pro- vide opportunities for children to relate their focused explorations of plants and animals to the plants and animals they are getting to know over time outdoors and in the terrarium. Focused Observation: Plants This focus begins with children starting a variety of indoor plants and is best done at the beginning of the school year. That way, children may have the opportunity to observe plants throughout the school year and, hopefully, to see some go from seed to seed. The remainder of the focused exploration of plants can last anywhere from four weeks to all year and involve studying plants’ needs, their parts, as well as how and why they grow and develop in the outdoor environ- ment and in the classroom. Focused Observation: Animals This focus begins with an outdoor search for small animals. In most parts of the country this focus needs to begin in the early fall or in the spring. If it begins in the fall, it can last all year, or it can stop for awhile and then resume again in the spring. The focus on animals encourages children to observe and think about ways animals’ bodies and behaviors help them meet their needs. Ideally, you’ll want children to experience animals’ life cycles, too, which means you’ll need to introduce some animals as long-term visitors in plenty of time for the children to observe a life cycle. Sit with your school-year calendar and block the time you will need to facilitate discovering nature. See the introduction on p. 4 for a rationale for using this curriculum to meet literacy and math goals. 20 Discovering Nature with Young Children Sample Calendar 3 (All parts of “Discovering Nature,” but in different order) September • Begin open exploration • Begin bush study October–March • Continue bush study • Continue explorations of out- door area and indoor terrarium • Begin “Focused Observations: Animals”: Body parts, behav- iors, needs, and life cycle; out- doors and indoors April • Continue bush study continues. . . Sample Calendar 2 (All parts except for “Focused Exploration: Animals”) September • Begin open exploration October • Begin “Focused Observation: Plants”: Start plants and observe early growth and development • Begin tree study • Continue explorations of out- door area and indoor terrarium November–December • Continue tree study • Continue explorations of out- door area and indoor terrarium • Begin “Focused Observations: Plants”: Plant parts • Begin “Focused Observations: Animals”: Terrarium animals January–June • Continue tree study • Continue explorations of out- door area and indoor terrarium</div>  <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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