Submitted by: Hannah Hobbs
Grade level: ece,elementary
Core Competencies: communication,creative-thinking,positive-personal-and-cultural-identity,social-responsibility
Subject Disciplines: outdoor-education

Suggested Location: Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver

Approaches to Learning: Appreciation, Creative Thinking, Mindfulness, 

Approaches to Teaching: Long term project-based learning, Environment as the third teacher, Based on Inquiry

Responsibilities as Outdoor Educators:

• Respect for our environment

• Use only what is in nature already

• Never take from living things

• Ensure the safety of children

Safety aspects:

• Safety litter pick before starting

• Ensure children know what is safe and nature vs litter and potentially dangerous

Session outline:

• Read your book of choice about Nature and Colour. Examples include: The Monkey with a Bright Blue Bottom, How the Finch got his Colours, How the leopard got his Spots, The Mixed-up Chameleon.

• Discuss children’s favourite colours, shapes, animals, things that are beautiful or pretty to them. Spend a moment observing the beauty of their immediate surrounding- what shapes and colours can you see?

• Nature Walk to the top of Queen Elizabeth Park/Bloedel Conservatory

• Visit the Bloedel Conservatory and view the colours and beauty of the birds and plants found inside (you will need to prebook a time slot to visit this).

• Gather rocks, leaves, stones, sticks, chalk, fallen petals etc from around the park.

• Children create their own art in any way they wish. 

• Gallery Walk: view other people’s artwork and offer positive praise and suggestions for change.

• Discuss their artwork and what they made. Document on Seesaw (or another learning journal) and discuss whether it will be there next time we visit?

• Make connections to other pieces of art/structures we have seen or built and how they have changed over time.