WEEK 3: OUTDOOR DISCOVERY FOR ALL YEARS…R to Y6
1) PLAN A LESSON OUTSIDE
Pretend that you’re doing an outdoor learning activity and start by doing this as the reason to be outside for your session- perhaps a tree identifying challenge, bug hunt or bird count activity or outdoor learning. Equip children with clipboards and worksheets & as part of the challenge set, allow children to be exploring the trees and nature at the back of the playground. Searching for types of leaf/tree/finding bugs/counting birds/cloud spotting. Whilst doing this, together with the children you’ll encounter as a surprise the new additions of the Inklings to the playground (Bug Hotel large one and Inklings signs on the tree at back of playground). Example worksheets can use for the ‘pretend’ outdoor activities can be downloaded here/your own ideas used as you may have better ones!
Whilst outside doing what the children believe is a bug hunts/bird identification/nature exploration session, they can be encouraged to stumble upon the Inklings new clues outside…
3) BUG HOTEL
'Inklings postbox’ / residence
As well as other mini creatures living inside the bug hotels and bird houses already in the school, children can be encouraged to notice a new larger Bug Hotel that has appeared recently.
Can the children notice something different about this bug hotel? What does the roof look like it is made from? (it’s cymbals- did these get borrowed from the school?)
Eggs with new messages have been placed inside the Bug Hotel (reach inside the hole) - each class to take 1 egg out and open it making sure leave the rest (top up replacement empty eggs left in the staff room in case need to replace). Inside the egg will say “The Inklings are hungry for new stories, poems, letters and words. We have taken shelter in this hotel alongside their friends the insects and worms. Leave messages and creative writing inside for us to find! We want to learn about you and your imaginations.”
Teachers, you can say “What if we tried to communicate with these Inklings? Send them some messages?” Children can work on letters/writing/stories/poems or any other messages to write on paper and then roll up and post into the Bug Hotel - teachers can collect these up and place them into the Bug Hotel (then share what they’ve written if any questions etc for Nikki to respond to/reply to). Children’s writing can be stamped with the Inklings stamps to show that it’s been read/reacted to and enjoyed by the Inklings and given back to the children/writing kept by teachers to be used later in the project.
2) CREATIVE RESPONSES TO THE INKLINGS RESIDENCE IN THE TREE & PLAYGROUND
The Inklings seem to have taken up residence in a tree at the back of the playground. It is the
Children will be able to spot signs of inklings in the form of mushroom steps, doors, windows, a bridge made from stolen crayons and items from the school (teacher could say something like “hey, that’s my pencil/paperclip/eraser!”), bells and chimes in the trees, decorations made from things Inklings have borrowed from the school/humans. Encourage children to see if they can see any other evidence of any tiny creatures in the playground. Twigs broken/tracks/markings on the tree or symbols/faces in the bark/trunk?
Once children have spotted the evidence of the Inklings in the tree and playground, can talk with children about and discuss (and write/draw about):
- where might be living and how inside the tree? In holes/tunnels/underground in the roots? Do they interact with other creatures living in the tree (birds/insects/bugs/fungi)? Could children imagine this and do diagrams/writing to describe what might look like and be like inside.
-Do the doors and portals lead to? Do they actually go inside the tree or do they lead to another world/realm/land?
-Why do you think Inklings chose a tree to take shelter in? What is their relationship to trees? Why this school/playground?
-why are there baskets and bells hanging in the trees?
-If some children don’t believe that anything actually living in there, use the doors and windows as an invitation to them to imagine what might be like if there were creatures living there. “Imagine if there are creatures living inside this tree…" ideas starter
-what do the creatures living here look like? Sound like? Move like? What do they eat? What else might they use from borrowed human items or natural items to build their homes and tools from?
All these discussions to inspire children to do some outdoor writing and imaginative drawing, whether factual observations or creative writing. Making notes to inspire development into stories/poems/myths/instructions/reports
Children might be keen to try open the windows/doors but hopefully they are positioned up high enough that they cannot reach them/that securely enough attached that won’t come off! To keep an eye on and report if any damages/repairs needed.
WE WOULD LOVE IF YOU CAN LET US KNOW HOW IT IS GOING….it will not take long.
We would love to hear how it is going/what the children (and teachers!) response has been so far to these clues and happenings. Whilst fresh in your memory, please share any brief notes/words/things overheard or observed. Or feedback what else need/developments/changes that want to see happen too?