KINDERGARTEN PROVIDES SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT TO THE NATURAL WORLD. TEACHERS SEIZE THE CHANCE WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO TAKE STUDENTS OUTSIDE TO DEVELOP AN APPRECIATION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. OFTEN TIMES THEY TAKE THEIR STORY TIME OUTSIDE, THIS SIMPLE STEP IS A BUILDING BLOCK TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. BELOW ARE SPECIFIC AREAS OF STUDY WITHIN THE KINDERGARTEN CURRICULUM THAT HIGHLIGHT GREEN SCHOOL INSTRUCTION.
Natural resources
The Kindergarten Curriculum contains the Exploration Question: What resources (animals, plants) are around my home, school and community?
Showing our students techniques of observing and recording facts from our environment will give them the tools to become scientists and explorers. Each class viewed the Earth science section on the Pebble Go website about natural resources and took a scavenger hunt walk in our outdoor classroom to note the natural verses man made objects. Finally students brainstormed ideas of what to include in a foldable, which they illustrated and labeled, about our school habitat. |
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Osprey
When the osprey return to their nests local children follow (via a local live stream cam) an osprey pair as they build their nest, lay eggs, and care for their young. Children learn about what osprey eat, how they construct nests, and why they choose their habitat. During this unit children construct their own osprey nest using a variety of natural materials, such as bark, sticks and leaves. They also draw and write what they have learned about ospreys.
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Scales and Tales
Park rangers from the Department of Natural Resources visit our classes each year, bringing with them wild animals native to our area. This unique learning opportunity provides our students with a real life experience directly with these wild animals and what they mean to our area and what impact we have on this wildlife. “Scales & Tales, is an informative and entertaining program that uses live non-releasable birds of prey and reptiles to promote stewardship of our wildlife and other natural resources. Through the stories, or "tales" of how these animals come into the care of the program, Scales & Tales naturalists discuss very important environmental issues, such as loss of habitat, environmental pollution, resource management and biodiversity.”
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Plant Life
The Kindergarten Curriculum contains the Exploration Question: What do plants need to live?
The basics of plant care begins in Kindergarten. Children make observations to identify the parts of a plant and what different plants need to grow and survive. Teachers use the Plant Needs and Plant Parts vocabulary cards from the curriculum to show how the growing cycle takes place. One activity that was generated during this unit was to draw and label a foldable about plant needs. |
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Camp Woodlands
Kindergarten students take an annual expedition to Camp Woodlands where they explore many outdoor learning stations, on land and water to increase their learning about trees, native animals, fish and bees. This hands-on learning experience, made possible through partnership with Arlington Echo and numerous parent volunteers who receive training to deliver station based lessons, is a highlight of the kindergarten year!
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