Winter 2023
Level 1
Outdoor Safety and Etiquette
This first class of winter, we started our class with doing our land acknowledgment, and learning about safety rules along the way. How to prepare to winter and outdoor school? How to show respect to nature and others? What is the right closing for winter? We will continue to review our rules and land acknowledgement before each class.
Goodbye autumn, hello winter! What are the signs of the winter? A scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to kick monotony to the curb and unleash our winter spirit in the great outdoors. Let’s rock to get ready for this wonderful season together!
January 7
January 14
A Thing Called Snow
This week we did a mini experiment using a scale, comparing the weight of different things we found from nature such as rocks, leaves and branches. We saw the heavy side goes down, the light side goes up, and when both sides are equal, the scale is balanced. We also explored the diversity of living things around us in winter and identified as many as we could, including bees, ducks, turtles, and trees. We noticed new differences between living things beyond size, such as texture, colour, and pattern.
January 21
Whose footprints?
We gained an understanding of the concept of length measurement, learned the units of length, and how length is determined, etc. We also learned to use different tools to measure length, such as ruler and tape measure. We now know the application of length measurement in daily life and work such as our heights and the perimeter of a tree!
January 28
Can you meaaure the weather?
We learned how a thermometer works and what the red and blue colors represent. We tried to use a thermometer to take temperature measurements and became familiar with how to use a thermometer. We deepened our understanding of thermometers by measuring the temperature in different places such as pond, grass field and indoors, and observing the rise and fall of the fluid inside the thermometer.
Where the wild things are?
Where is the monster? Where are we? Bring the flash light and binoculars and let’s move on! We took on the role of the characters in the story and explored the deep forest of Camosun Bog wetland park! We fully stimulated our imagination and teamwork skills, and learned how to fully utilize our abilities to cooperate in completing the adventure.
February 04
My Shadows
Using lanterns and flashlights, we went into the woods and looked for nature's shadows. We stood behind a curtain and created our own shadows. We acted out plays with shadows of owls, snakes, mouses, and ourselves. After this lesson, we learned something new: How the shadow is formed. From now on we are no longer frightened by our shadows!
February 11
February 18
How can you make it move?
In this class we went into the big woods and let nature help us learn about forces and motion. Through the teacher's instructional demonstrations, tug of war and push-and-pull ball game, we learned that forces are mutual and forces can make objects move. Our creativity and problem solving skills were improved through the lesson and we extensively practiced teamwork and communication skills in the games.
Ramp Energy
We went to the Queen Elizabeth Park where its diverse landscape can help us learn the lesson of ramp. Taking the advantage of the difference in terrain, we observed what a ramp looks like, measured the height of different ramps, compared the similarities and differences between a ramp and a staircase, and finally applied games to understand the utility of ramps/slopes and the convenience they bring to people.
February 25
March 4
Rolling and Sliding
Our nature classroom today was the Vandusen Garden, where we applied the garden's diverse terrain to learn about the two common physics of rolling and sliding. The children observed rolling spheres, sliding squares, and column logs that can slide and roll, and experienced which one rolls farther and faster? A class that exercised all aspects of physical strength, observation and thinking skills!
Final Project
After a term’s learning of "Nature's Measurement", "Story Adventure" and "Amazing Motion", the children's physical strength, observation skills, logical thinking, and sense of cooperation have been systematically exercised and enhanced. Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!