As a class we are using some of the tasks suggested by the Kiwi Conservation Club or KCC as prompts or suggestions for learning.
Adopt a tree and spend some time getting to know it.
What a beautiful idea! Trees are so very different and the more time we spend with them, in them, and under them, the more of their 'personality' we see.
Today we explored their branches, the 'bounce' that some had. We noticed their bark and how some areas were smooth and some rough.
As we collected leaves we noticed how different the leaves of some trees were, the colour, how the tree held them and how soft or rough they were.
Having trees in our school offer us an opportunity to explore and use our brains. No two trees are the same, climbing them takes some calculation and risk assessment. Waikino School has a tree climbing policy which helps us to use these natural resources while keeping everyone safe.
We found that we could match leaves t trees even when their fallen leaves were a different colour or even looked like a skeleton. Skeleton leaves are so very interesting and 'they have lost their flesh', showing just the bones.
We talked about shape, size, texture and we talked about evergreen and deciduous trees and tried to identify those around us.
We love that our native area gives us space to build huts and explore providing shelter and using what we find. Today some of us chose to have a go at building and designing huts in the areas where the undergrowth was minimal.
We were lucky to find a combination of natural and manmade materials to build our huts with. The natural material seemed to be more flexible and more open to interpretation and soon became the favourite but nothing beats a pre-made fence for an instant wall!
We envisage these huts changing and adapting depending on our needs and desires. We can see that they would protect us if that is what we wanted but as usual, huts prompted a discussion about ownership that we can reflect on later.
Just a reminder that we will be outside in all weathers so shoes and raincoats would really help to make this experience a positive one for our students. Send these along to school, we want to know if different fungi grown in the rain!