Nature study allows children to feel connected, observe changes and to understand the interconnections of ecosystems and sustainable attitiudes.
Throughout 2021 Quintilian Pre-Primary will be introducing a nature study program which involves the children visiting Lake Claremont once a week to study the flora and fauna, record the changes throughout the year and develop a greater appreciation of nature and understanding of our local wetlands. Friends of Lake Claremont will also be joining us once a term to discuss points of interest and answer ‘tricky questions’.
Each child will have a Nature Study bag containing;
• nature journal
• sketching pencil
• magnifying glass
• paint brush and paints
Why is this important?
Spending time in nature allows children to slow down, relax and just ‘be’ and to learn sustainable ideas and actions. Nature study allows children to feel connected, observe changes and to understand the interconnections of ecosystems and sustainable attitiudes. These outings will also incorporate a cross-curricular approach, allowing for the following areas to be incorporated:
• Math – measurement, counting, sorting, patterns and shape
• Literacy – descriptive language, labelling, recording
• Science – habitats, living things, seasonal changes, curiosity
• HASS – mapping, history of local areas, collecting data from observations
• Art – observational sketching and painting, developing attention to detail
The nature journal provides an opportunity for the children to:
• record what they see
• remember details and changes
• develop wonder and curiousity (writing questions and thoughts about their observations)
• enhance their love of nature
We will acknowledge the Noongar seasons and how they relate to the environmental changes that occur throughout the year, discovering how the Noongar people lived in the area and the way they lived off the land.
Teachers will be learning with the children, role modelling the journaling, curiosity and wonder about our wetland environment. Together we will research the answers and discover more about our local area!
