Green Recess as OT

"I never thought I would live to see the day when my OT session notes would read like this: "developing bilateral coordination and hand/arm strength while watering the meadow and building a house with hollow blocks" or: "facilitated social interactions through small group fabric play."

Thank you BNS.

Katherine Anderson

Kindergarten Water Study Begins with a Conference of Scientists

Kindergarteners explored with water, droppers and natural materials.

Wet sand sticks to the cup was among the many noticings.

It was at clean up time that the conference took place. A group of scientists were sorting natural objects and human made objects into two trays.  When a plastic shark stirred up quite a controversy.  Where should they put it?

Consensus?  Not quite.  Some put it in the middle.  Others wanted it to go with the plastic.  Still others felt it should go with shore things.

Remember the Chrysalis on the Shovel?

It emerged yesterday.!

See the before picture.

What is Old is New to These Fourth Graders

Once again fourth graders use historic maps to travel back in time.
And once again they chalk the sidewalk to leave a message for passersby.
But their passion never gets old to this blogger at any rate.

Once again they discover the floating island...a garbage island thought some.

Some think that the tiny sidewalk plants  are the forests and wetlands trying to get out from under the concrete.
Perhaps we can help make that a reality!

Link to last year's time travel trip

Second Grade Naturalists Find Plenty to Explore in Their Own Schoolyard

Rain Got You Down?

Think of painting with sidewalk chalk and rain.  Not only for Kindergarten Green Recess.

Monarchs Thrive in the Oddest of Places

I bet you thought chrysalises would attach themselves to a plant...A milkweed or a butterfly bush. Something green or floral.  I did. However, Johanna and her student crews have uncovered them in the oddest of places.  

On a plastic compost bin.

A shovel in the compost area...

Underneath a piece of the chicken coop  to name a few.

More predictably, when fifth grade teachers released about 40 tagged monarch butterflies, they flocked to the nectar rich butterfly bush and mum plants in Pollinator Garden.  (Too rainy for kids to release.)