During ELP I was in charge of creating the curricula for the kindergarten classes at Adams Elementary. This includes a in-class lesson as well as a field trip lesson. The theme for kindergarten is "awaken the senses". We focused on a few key focal species; the banana slug, pileated wood-pecker, fairy slippers orchid, coyote, and rough skinned newt. The eco-node habitat of focus was the incense cedar forest. The idea behind these lessons is to lay some foundational knowledge about Mt. Pisgah and introduce topics such as stewardship and empathy for animals. 

 

The in-class lesson includes a story about fairy house building followed by a drawing activity about one of our focal species the fairy slippers orchid. The field trip is a half day trip to Mt. Pisgah and is comprised of two major activities. The first is a bingo activity. This is a special Mt. Pisgah bingo and helps the children get acquainted with plant and animal identification. The next big activity is fairy house building. This gives kids the opportunity to have un-structured exploration time in nature where they can be creative. 

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We also incorporated some techniques from The Coyote's Guide to Mentoring. These include sit spotting, journaling, the art of questioning, and story of the day. These techniques help kids develop a deep connection with nature and foster critical thinking and curiosity.